scale (redirected from play scales)

scale back something

to reduce the size or amount of something. The search for the child was scaled back sharply today, with almost a third of the volunteers heading home. The program was very effective, but the plan now is to scale it back.

Usage notes: also used in the form scale down: The original jury award of $10 million was scaled down to $250,000 by the judge.

ramp up something

See also: back

scale up something

to make something larger, esp. a design or model. A number of companies manufacturing a line of popular small cars have simply scaled up those models. Engineers did not completely understand what would happen if they scaled their design up.