top-down

adjective

ˈtäp-ˈdau̇n How to pronounce top-down (audio)
1
: controlled, directed, or instituted from the top level
a top-down corporate structure
2
: proceeding by breaking large general aspects (as of a problem) into smaller more detailed constituents : working from the general to the specific
top-down programming
top-down design

Examples of top-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet somehow, as an organism grows, cells know where to go and what to be without top-down direction. — Matthew Hutson, Scientific American, 6 Sep. 2026 European startups have a harder time attracting venture capital investment than US companies, and the top-down architecture of Europe’s legacy space industry is often incompatible with the entrepreneurial culture of Silicon Valley. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026 But this week, the center removed a prominent artwork near the Potomac River, a sign that top-down change has begun. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026 With what seems like little embellishment to real locations (including a genuine culture of female-only caddies sporting bright colors), the movie captures a languid, top-down strangeness. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for top-down

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase from the top down

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top-down was in 1930

Rhymes for top-down

See All Rhymes for top-down

Browse Nearby Words

top dollar
top-down
top drawer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Top-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-down. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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