half step
noun
1
: a walking step of 15 inches or in double time of 18 inches
2
: a musical interval (such as E-F or B-C) equivalent to ¹/₁₂ of an octave
called also semitone
Examples of half step in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field.
—
CBS News, 18 May 2024
When singers can no longer bound across the stage, stay on pitch or hit notes that once came easily (even after bringing the keys of a song down a half step or more)?
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023
The second and seventh degrees are lowered a half step, meaning that the scale assumes the contour of the Phrygian mode, which medieval theorists considered mystical in character.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
What was a staircase of broad, even planks—step, step, half step, step, step, step, half step—becomes an irregular, treacherous structure: down a half step, then a minor third, then two more half steps, then another minor third, and finally a half step and a step.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for half step 
CBS News, 18 May 2024
When singers can no longer bound across the stage, stay on pitch or hit notes that once came easily (even after bringing the keys of a song down a half step or more)?
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023
The second and seventh degrees are lowered a half step, meaning that the scale assumes the contour of the Phrygian mode, which medieval theorists considered mystical in character.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
What was a staircase of broad, even planks—step, step, half step, step, step, step, half step—becomes an irregular, treacherous structure: down a half step, then a minor third, then two more half steps, then another minor third, and finally a half step and a step.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for half step
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'half step.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near half step
Cite this Entry
“Half step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20step. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share