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.
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Recent Examples of scales
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Scientists hope the velella can help oceanographers improve their understanding of spatial scales, from satellite images with the resolution of a football field, to aerial drone photos and microscopic images measured in millimeters, Haddock said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Democrats are hoping that shifting midterm dynamics, along with Brown's strong name recognition and working-class brand in the state, can tip the scales in their favor.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Our life is a dip of the scales.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
That combination allows scientists to study how processes on vastly different scales interact.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 May 2026
The result is a nude mesh gown with a draping technique that creates the illusion of serpent scales.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Kristen Loria started Buttermilk Bean in 2021 to support farmers at different scales and get their products from the field to the market at a fair price, in addition to growing her own crops.
—Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
In turn, the cosmic scales are finally balanced, and the joke is entirely on the Giants.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Vertebrates ditched their body armor and scales for smooth skin; cephalopods lost their external shell.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Zia added that grey scales with authentic chip-off aesthetics and sulphur blues inspired by classic denim are also key developments.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
Everything — from food to veterinary care — scales up with the dog’s formidable stature.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
In an augmented workforce, AI scales execution while humans focus on judgment, context, and leadership growth.
—Nickle Lamoreaux, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
There’s often skepticism when a boutique brand scales up.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
The law scales back the IDs voters can present at the polls.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Treat scales with horticultural oil according to label directions.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
Now Assist gross margins remain above 80% as AI scales, the company said.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Scientists hope the velella can help oceanographers improve their understanding of spatial scales, from satellite images with the resolution of a football field, to aerial drone photos and microscopic images measured in millimeters, Haddock said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Democrats are hoping that shifting midterm dynamics, along with Brown's strong name recognition and working-class brand in the state, can tip the scales in their favor.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Our life is a dip of the scales.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
That combination allows scientists to study how processes on vastly different scales interact.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 May 2026
The result is a nude mesh gown with a draping technique that creates the illusion of serpent scales.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Kristen Loria started Buttermilk Bean in 2021 to support farmers at different scales and get their products from the field to the market at a fair price, in addition to growing her own crops.
—Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
In turn, the cosmic scales are finally balanced, and the joke is entirely on the Giants.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Verb
Feature size scales with the speed, and the speed is important for manufacturing purposes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Vertebrates ditched their body armor and scales for smooth skin; cephalopods lost their external shell.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Zia added that grey scales with authentic chip-off aesthetics and sulphur blues inspired by classic denim are also key developments.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026
Everything — from food to veterinary care — scales up with the dog’s formidable stature.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
In an augmented workforce, AI scales execution while humans focus on judgment, context, and leadership growth.
—Nickle Lamoreaux, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
There’s often skepticism when a boutique brand scales up.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
The law scales back the IDs voters can present at the polls.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Treat scales with horticultural oil according to label directions.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scales
Verb
-
This year, the snowpack in the upper portion of the river’s watershed in the Rocky Mountains measures just 22% of average, the smallest on record.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The lot measures 10,120 square feet and includes a pool.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Several stock market gauges around the world — from the US to Taiwan — have now erased all their losses since the start of the Iran war, as financial markets price in a possible path to peace.—
Pratigya Vajpayee,
Bloomberg,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Big Deal New research by Bain & Company gauges CFOs' AI spending plans.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scales. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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