: an intermission between halves of a game or contest (as in football or basketball)
: involving or working half the standard hours
half-time
adverb
Examples of halftime in a Sentence
Noun
The score was tied at halftime.
The coaches discussed strategy during halftime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Now, Saudi Arabia is looking to keep its 1-0 lead, and possibly extend it, after halftime.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Charlie Davies, New York Times, 13 June 2026
No wonder the Spurs initially cruised with a 76-49 half-time lead.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for halftime
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The banners were confiscated by stadium personnel just before halftime.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Now, Saudi Arabia is looking to keep its 1-0 lead, and possibly extend it, after halftime.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Adjective
Across 45 minutes, before being subbed out at half-time in what hopefully proves to be just a precautionary measure, the 27-year-old Milan star did exactly what was required of him on the biggest stage imaginable.
—Charlie Davies, New York Times, 13 June 2026
No wonder the Spurs initially cruised with a 76-49 half-time lead.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for halftime
Cite this Entry
“Halftime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halftime. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
halftime
noun
half·time
ˈhaf-ˌtīm 
ˈhȧf-
: an intermission marking the completion of half of a game (as in football)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
