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
Its layout doesn’t follow a regular chromatic scale, so a half step between notes can necessitate a giant leap across the instrument.
—
Jane Bua, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Colts–Broncos was similarly uneventful except for Jonathan Taylor dropping the ball a half step before walking into the end zone on a long run.
—Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
More of a half step than Microsoft’s Xbox One X, which can at least do things like play 4K Blu-rays.
—Jeffrey Van Camp, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2018
Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field.
—CBS News, 18 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for half step
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Jane Bua, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Colts–Broncos was similarly uneventful except for Jonathan Taylor dropping the ball a half step before walking into the end zone on a long run.
—Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
More of a half step than Microsoft’s Xbox One X, which can at least do things like play 4K Blu-rays.
—Jeffrey Van Camp, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2018
Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field.
—CBS News, 18 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for half step
Cite this Entry
“Half step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20step. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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