scales 1 of 4

plural of scale
as in balances
a device for measuring weight I hate getting on the bathroom scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

scales

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of scale
as in plates
a small thin piece of material that resembles an animal scale scales of mica were embedded in the granite

Synonyms & Similar Words

scales

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural of scale

scales

4 of 4

verb

present tense third-person singular of scale

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
Noun
The Israeli officials who spoke to CNN said Netanyahu is considering various scales and levels of annexation options, ranging from a limited takeover of several Jewish settlements to a broader approach calling for annexation of Area C, which comprises 60% of the territory. Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025 Also found at the site were some bony fish scales and teeth and incomplete plesiosaurian teeth, indicating a humid climate and complex ecosystem, according to the paper. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025 Campaigning may be unseemly, but in an Oscar race where only five slots exist, presence can tilt the scales. Clayton Davis, Variety, 1 Sep. 2025 Officers also reported finding smoking devices, digital scales, baggies, needles and other paraphernalia. Trent Abrego, Twin Cities, 30 Aug. 2025 Reasoning Systems - Hybrid intelligence networks that combine human intuition with machine analysis to solve complex problems spanning multiple scales and timelines, from local community needs to global environmental challenges. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 During inflation, everything got bigger, including the sub-microscopic quantum foam that constantly roils and bubbles at the tiniest scales. Paul Sutter, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Tipping the scales back and forth, Russell blurs the line between fan and celebrity entirely, upping the mutual desperation to an unpredictable boiling point. Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025 That’s important not just for defense but also because as AI scales, its operations may come to reflect the values of whoever developed it. Justin Worland, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
The team is rounded out by Asia Stocchi, who takes on distribution and development coordination duties as the company scales up operations. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 The real test is whether governments, corporations, and consumers can demand an AI ecosystem that scales sustainably. Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 And as the crypto ecosystem scales further, the absence of these protections will become increasingly consequential. Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 The Pixel 10’s screen offers a resolution of 2,424 by 1,080 pixels, a refresh rate that scales from 60Hz to 120Hz, and brightness levels up to 2,000 nits (HDR) and 3,000 nits (peak). PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2025 DiLoCoX pioneers a number of novel techniques, including pipeline parallelism, adaptive gradient compression, one-step-delay communication overlaps and local training, to create a decentralized AI training environment that scales to unprecedented heights. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2025 If India scales back imports of Russian oil, Moscow could still gain revenue if crude prices spike. semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scales
Verb
  • Elasticity measures how demand responds to price changes.
    Ashish Verma, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Plus, the full three-dimensional picture of the flows is not yet complete, as the DynamiX system currently measures the motion along only one direction.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The diffusion index in the jobs report gauges the concentration of growth.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In business, profit margins are a performance metric that gauges the extent to which businesses are making money, similar to how the number of games a baseball team leads its division by determines its standing.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scales. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on scales

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!