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
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Recent Examples of scales
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Across industries, as Agentic AI scales, the changes are already happening—just quietly.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg’s 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg's 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
However, the researchers added a note of caution, noting that the technology was still in its early stages and could not be deployed at large scales immediately.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
But with national Republicans and Democrats at essentially a draw after back-and-forth redistricting across about a half-dozen states, Florida could tip the scales.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Inspectors also test the accuracy of store scales, from the produce department to self‑checkout stations.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
See video … KELLYANNE CONWAY — Virginia redistricting was about tipping the scales, not fairness.
—FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Scalable and practical The system’s architecture scales straightforwardly.
—Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
That second explanation, known as dark matter, was initially favored because the addition of that one ingredient could explain all of the observed physical phenomena on a variety of scales, while modifying gravity required different modifications to align with different scales.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Across industries, as Agentic AI scales, the changes are already happening—just quietly.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg’s 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg's 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
However, the researchers added a note of caution, noting that the technology was still in its early stages and could not be deployed at large scales immediately.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
But with national Republicans and Democrats at essentially a draw after back-and-forth redistricting across about a half-dozen states, Florida could tip the scales.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Inspectors also test the accuracy of store scales, from the produce department to self‑checkout stations.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
See video … KELLYANNE CONWAY — Virginia redistricting was about tipping the scales, not fairness.
—FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Scalable and practical The system’s architecture scales straightforwardly.
—Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scales
Verb
-
This process measures mattress brands based on cost, materials, construction, support, pressure relief, temperature regulation, edge support, policies, value and more.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Gallup Economic Confidence Index, which measures the economy from a range of -100 (poor) to +100 (good), dropped 11 points this month from -27 in March to -38 now, the lowest rating since November 2023.—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
25 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 2 May. 2026.
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