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.
This top-down view shows NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s spacecraft bus from another angle. Jeffrey Kluger/greenbelt, TIME, 8 Feb. 2025 Blindspot is a top-down tactical shooter in which teams of five players face off against each other. Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 This top-down approach is all about creating a world view to determine the sectors and industries that stand to benefit or struggle as broader market and geopolitical trends play out. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025 The conference, which the state party chair estimates was attended by roughly 200 members, represents a political flashpoint in the Republican Party of Florida, which for decades has had a reputation for being efficient, effective, on message and in lock-step with its top-down leadership. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near top-down

Cite this Entry

“Top-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-down. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

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