: 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
CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
After halftime, the Steelers put together a pair of third-quarter scoring drives.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
But instead, each instrument disappears and the tempo drops to half-time, leaving only an uneasy chord structure and a lethargic drum pattern.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
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
After five fruitless drives, Cameron Dicker's 30-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the second quarter pulled the Chargers to 10-3 at halftime.
—CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
After halftime, the Steelers put together a pair of third-quarter scoring drives.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Bad Bunny was always meant to perform a Super Bowl half-time show in the next few weeks, entirely in Spanish.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
But instead, each instrument disappears and the tempo drops to half-time, leaving only an uneasy chord structure and a lethargic drum pattern.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for halftime
Cite this Entry
“Halftime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halftime. Accessed 7 Jan. 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
Share