top-down
adjective
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
Thriving In Times Of Volatility Most learning leaders are already aware of their role as agents of change, but frankly, many of us learned this role reactively in the face of top-down or stakeholder requests.
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Ron Zamir, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Mechanically, the game looks and controls like a classic Zelda game with a top-down isometric view, and the whole engine looks to be lifted from 2019’s remake of Link’s Awakening.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
Chinese officials are now combining the heft of state spending and financial support with top-down directives to buy local tech, particularly in semiconductors.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024
And for many of us, the hope in America comes not from some top-down government mandate, but a personal liberty and motivation to make our corner of the universe a little better for our families and friends.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for top-down 
Ron Zamir, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Mechanically, the game looks and controls like a classic Zelda game with a top-down isometric view, and the whole engine looks to be lifted from 2019’s remake of Link’s Awakening.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
Chinese officials are now combining the heft of state spending and financial support with top-down directives to buy local tech, particularly in semiconductors.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024
And for many of us, the hope in America comes not from some top-down government mandate, but a personal liberty and motivation to make our corner of the universe a little better for our families and friends.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for top-down
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'top-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Top-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top-down. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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