middle ground

noun

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

1 : a standpoint or area midway between extreme or opposing positions, options, or objectives

2 : middle distance 1

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Examples of middle ground in a Sentence

The judge of the case chose a middle ground between harshness and leniency.
Both sides in this debate need to do more to establish some middle ground.

Recent Examples of middle ground from the Web

And there is an etiquette for the middle ground between private conversation and public performance, such as the realm of office email and online discussion groups.

— john e. mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "To serve and correct," 6 Apr. 2018
Somewhere between puritanically plain Adidas Stan Smiths and fussy neon Nike Flyknits, these trainers occupy an aesthetically pleasing middle ground.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "These Retro Sneakers Are a Step Up from New Balances," 4 Apr. 2018
Hawaii is the middle ground, similar to the way that the International Space Station represents a politically neutral place where humans can live and work together in harmony for the greater good of humanity.

— matthew kronsberg, Condé Nast Traveler, "NASA Astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel Share Their Travel Secrets," 27 Mar. 2018
Ensuring those five fouls are only personal fouls — and not technicals — is a good middle ground.

— tim bontemps, chicagotribune.com, "The NCAA tournament is great — except for the actual basketball. Here's how to fix that.," 26 Mar. 2018
Looking directly at the viewer with farm buildings in the background below a darkening sky, the farmer signals that he is prepared to protect his lands and property, which includes a black field worker pitching wheat in the middle ground.

— kim sajet, Smithsonian, "How Portraiture Gave Rise to the Glamour of Guns," 23 Mar. 2018
Is there room for any middle ground at all among the Democrats?

— Fox News, "What to expect from Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un," 11 Mar. 2018
So maybe the story is that the middle ground is increasingly going to disappear.

— Fortune, "Toyota Design Chief Says the Future of Cars Is Custom Speedsters and Rolling Boxes," 16 Feb. 2018
Since then, Kashuv has been an occasional guest on Fox News Channel, sometimes calling for middle ground with fellow classmates and among those who disagree in the debate.

— alex horton, courant.com, "A fake photo of Emma González went viral on the far right, where Parkland teens are villains," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'middle ground.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.