downscale 1 of 2

verb

ˈdau̇n-ˌskāl How to pronounce downscale (audio)
Definition of downscalenext
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent the poor economy forced the plant to downscale production

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

downscale

2 of 2

adjective

as in down-market

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of downscale
Verb
Yet several cities have needed to downscale their plans, particularly around official fan festivals. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026 The initial targets were appropriately bullish, but the first-quarter tariff panic drove most strategists to downscale their forecasts near the low. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Becket grew up poor, in downscale Belleville, NJ (his mother was kicked to the curb after getting pregnant out of wedlock). — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026 Lebowitz recalled that Navarro bought and renovated a three-story building in one of Cambridge’s more downscale neighborhoods. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downscale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downscale
  1. reduce
  2. down-market
  3. decrease
  4. working-class
  5. poor
Verb
  • For example, shifting the Fed’s portfolio toward short-term Treasury bills and away from long-term bonds or mortgage-back securities could reduce market price distortion and limit the government’s role in allocating capital across sectors.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And China, with its massive oil inventory, has been drawing down its reserves and reduced its crude imports by more than 4 million barrels a day, according to JPMorgan.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduce
Adjective
  • The capital is drifting down-market, into hands-on companies.
    — Louis Mosca, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As the latter became emblematic of comfort and success, the former came to be seen as down-market or second-class.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of down-market
Verb
  • The backlog, which grew significantly under the Biden administration, has decreased for the first time in at least 10 years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • However, the more time that passes from the peak, northern lights showings are expected to decrease.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of decrease
Adjective
  • Her campaign has emphasized protecting working-class residents from displacement while resisting what progressives describe as an increasingly corporate approach to city government.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Theirs was a working-class community, nestled just a few blocks west of the presidential palace, that in recent years has been overrun by gangs and subjected to extreme and indiscriminate violence.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of working-class
Adjective
  • Covid-19 wasn’t immediately recognized as a disease with airborne transmission with the potential to spread beyond the 6-foot social distancing measure, especially in places with poor ventilation or around activities with heavy breathing.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Crepe myrtles may not bloom due to poor pruning, low light, watering issues, weak soil, or pests.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

downs
downscale
downscaled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downscale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downscale. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All