halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhäv

halved; halving

transitive verb

1

a

: to divide into two equal parts

b

: to reduce to one half

halving the present cost

c

: to share equally

2

golf : to play (a hole, round, or match) in the same number of strokes as one's opponent

I lost the next two holes to pars, then halved the fourth by missing an easy putt.

—David Owen

Examples of halve in a Sentence

The store is halving the price of many summer items.

Recent Examples on the Web

The economy isn’t headed for an imminent crash, but GDP has stagnated, oil revenue has been halved amid Western sanctions, and the government’s budget deficit is rapidly draining reserves. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026

Trim just the very end of the stem, then halve or quarter them to maximize the surface area for browning. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

Since last year, the number of adoptable dogs had halved, with just under 90 dogs available for adoption. —Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026

One Irish supporters’ club group had 35 fans coming to the home meeting with Everton in November, a number that more than halved to 15 when the game was switched to a Monday night. —Andy Mitten, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from half half

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for halve

• calve
• have
• nav
• mohave

Kids Definition

halve

verb

ˈhav 

ˈhȧv

halved; halving

1

: to divide into two halves

2

: to reduce to one half

halving the cost