as in balances
a device for measuring weight
I hate getting on the bathroom scale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in hierarchies
a scheme of rank or order
a student who scored very highly on a standard intelligence scale
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in ranges
the distance or extent between possible extremes
with the scale going from one to ten, what did you think of the movie?
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in measures
to find out the size, extent, or amount of
scaled the logs to get a rough idea of the amount of usable lumber they were likely to yield
Synonyms & Similar 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 scales
Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Researchers believe the ability to manipulate such nanoscale vortices could eventually support ultracompact devices, potentially shrinking magnetic memory or logic components to unprecedented scales.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
These acts of naming, monumentalizing, and commemorating functioned at multiple scales as grassroots recognition, state propaganda, and artistic homage.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Experts predicted that the composition of the jury could tip the scales of justice even before selection began in January.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Donovan refuses to sit players or tinker with rotations to tip the scales toward losing — even with games that could affect the final placement of draft picks.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
If my outfit is looking a little too flat, a little too monochrome, the Barbie pink scales have a way of brightening it up.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
San Diego County calibrates scales used for weighing precious metals.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Experience tipping the scales The Ducks still have a young core with Carlsson, McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier and Lukáš Dostál all being 25 or younger.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The recipe scales up easily to feed more people.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Technological innovation scales with the number of collaborators.
—R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
New riders will be invited on a rolling basis going forward as Waymo scales its operations.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
The credit provides more money to lower-income families and those with younger children, and then scales the credit down as the incomes and ages of tax filers rise.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
Border czar Tom Homan announced a temporary drawdown of enforcement resources this week, citing the need to recalibrate operations as ICE scales arrests and detention capacity nationwide.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
The silhouette arrives as Keen scales American Built production in Kentucky and pushes its sustainability targets under Ann Radil, senior director of Keen Effect, who is focused on circular design and measuring the company’s emissions trajectory.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Young boys cleaned test tubes, brawny machinists built gauges and mills, and scales delicate enough to weigh an inch of a spider's web.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
On the smallest scales, structure gets washed out, while on larger scales, structure takes a long time to form, as larger scales plus the finite speed of gravity translate into longer timescales for collapse.
—Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Researchers believe the ability to manipulate such nanoscale vortices could eventually support ultracompact devices, potentially shrinking magnetic memory or logic components to unprecedented scales.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
These acts of naming, monumentalizing, and commemorating functioned at multiple scales as grassroots recognition, state propaganda, and artistic homage.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Experts predicted that the composition of the jury could tip the scales of justice even before selection began in January.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Donovan refuses to sit players or tinker with rotations to tip the scales toward losing — even with games that could affect the final placement of draft picks.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
If my outfit is looking a little too flat, a little too monochrome, the Barbie pink scales have a way of brightening it up.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
San Diego County calibrates scales used for weighing precious metals.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Experience tipping the scales The Ducks still have a young core with Carlsson, McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier and Lukáš Dostál all being 25 or younger.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
Falsehood scales instantly; correction limps behind.
—Tom Debley, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The recipe scales up easily to feed more people.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Technological innovation scales with the number of collaborators.
—R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
New riders will be invited on a rolling basis going forward as Waymo scales its operations.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
The credit provides more money to lower-income families and those with younger children, and then scales the credit down as the incomes and ages of tax filers rise.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
Border czar Tom Homan announced a temporary drawdown of enforcement resources this week, citing the need to recalibrate operations as ICE scales arrests and detention capacity nationwide.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
The silhouette arrives as Keen scales American Built production in Kentucky and pushes its sustainability targets under Ann Radil, senior director of Keen Effect, who is focused on circular design and measuring the company’s emissions trajectory.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Young boys cleaned test tubes, brawny machinists built gauges and mills, and scales delicate enough to weigh an inch of a spider's web.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scales
Verb
-
The Collegiate Consulting study focuses largely on branding and visibility through a metric known as advertising value equivalency (AVE), which measures how much advertising would cost with equivalent exposure.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Standing out in the six-bedroom, 10-bathroom spread, which measures 20 feet wide and 8,000 square feet across six levels, is a living room with two seating areas, a linear fireplace, and a bay window.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The discrepancies tended to be largest in lower-income regions, including parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, where there are typically fewer local tide gauges and direct ocean measurements; these places are more reliant on models that perform poorly there.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An intensification of violence in Iran and the Gulf triggered a global stock selloff earlier this week, driving credit risk gauges higher and stifling primary issuance.—
Claire Ruckin,
Bloomberg,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scales. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
