scale down

scale down

1. To climb down something. How long do you think it will take us to scale down the mountain?
2. To reduce or decrease something in size or scope. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "scale" and "down." With this sudden decrease in funding, we will have to scale down the project to just five staff members! Can you scale this model down so that it will fit on the boardroom table?
See also: down, scale
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

scale something down

to reduce the size or cost of something. The bad economy forced us to scale the project down. Liz scaled down the project.
See also: down, scale
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

scale down

Reduce the size or cost of, as in The owners decided to scale down wages. This expression, along with the related scale up, which refers to an increase, alludes to scale in the sense of "a fixed standard." [Late 1800s]
See also: down, scale
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

scale down

v.
1. To climb down something; descend something: The climber carefully scaled down the cliff.
2. To reduce the scope or extent of something according to a standard or by degrees; reduce something in calculated amounts: The lawyer advised them to scale down their demands. We decided our travel plans were unrealistic, so we scaled them down.
See also: down, scale
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • bear down
  • champ down on (someone or something)
  • be down to (do something)
  • be down to something
  • bog
  • bog down
  • bogged down
  • chuck (something) down
  • chuck it down
  • bite down on (something)
References in periodicals archive
UCS' fixed development cost and flexible monthly subscription model gives customers choice to set up, ramp up or scale down their operations without incurring unforeseen costs.
UCS Software in UK
Rowling, 37, is thought to have taken the decision to scale down promotion for Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix - the fifth book in the series - so she can spend time with her new baby, nine-year-old daughter Jessica, and husband Dr Neil Murray at their Edinburgh home.
JK PUTS HER BABY BEFORE HER BOOK
The court noted that the decision to scale down the inmate's care was made by a treatment team and was not the result of financial considerations.
30. Mental problems (prisoner)
The Defense Agency said Wednesday two of five Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) vessels operating in the Arabian Sea to support the U.S.-led antiterrorism campaign will return to Japan for maintenance, which will scale down the force's assistance operations.
Agency announces reduction in MSDF antiterrorism support
NEW YORK Mayor Rudy Giuliani has pledged to push ahead with plans to scale down the recovery work at Ground Zero, despite violent protests from firefighters.
Anger as search for bodies is scaled down
ON THE MARCH: Firefighters rally at the site of the World Trade Centre in New York against plans to scale down recovery work
11 firemen arrested in NY protest
According to a Sempra spokeswoman, the company hasn't given up its distribution monopoly and continues to scale down its initial plan to cris-cross the province with pipe.
Sempra down-sizing operations, staff
Technology has enabled law firms to scale down their cherished libraries and free-up space, according to many in the Manhattan legal community.
Once trophies, law libraries are casualties of space crunch
At least eight of Japanese banks in South Korea are preparing to scale down operations or pull out from the country this year, the English-language Korea Times reported Monday.
8 Japanese banks to reduce operations in S. Korea
"When the last government scaled down the Army they didn't scale down the number of commitments it had.
CRISIS IN THE SCOTS RANKS; Regiments may be axed through lack of recruits
Without going into extensive research at the cost of heading in the wrong direction, the primary approach was to scale down the test while keeping all the parameters the same.
Correlative small scale roof fire testing
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's ace mountaineer Sirbaz Khan, who became first Pakistani to scale down Mount Lhotse, the 4th highest peak of 8516m tall mountain in Himalayan Region in Nepal, that too without using supplementary oxygen, on Tuesday requested the government to support mountaineers of the country, who are more than capable of scaling down any given mountain of the world.
Pakistan ace mountaineer seeks govt help for climbers
'We can discuss to reduce or scale down the project where we will get some benefit and don't have to pay out crazy amounts.
FT minister moots scaling down development in Taman Rimba Kiara
Global Banking News-October 29, 2015--Deutsche Bank to scale down operations and cut jobs
Deutsche Bank to scale down operations and cut jobs