middle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of middlenext
1
as in mean
a middle point between extremes his salary is exactly at the middle of the company's pay scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in midst
an area or point that is an equal distance from all points along an edge or outer surface put the serving dish in the middle of the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in waist
the middle region of the human torso clutched the football tightly against her middle

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in height
the most intense or characteristic phase of something I'm right in the middle of a tax audit, so can you come back later?

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middle

2 of 2

adjective

ˈmi-dᵊl How to pronounce middle (audio)
1
as in halfway
occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes you must mark the exact middle point of each of these lines in order to solve the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size a house that is middle-sized for that neighborhood a man of middle height

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of middle
Noun
With two outs in the seventh, Adames sent with a grounder up the middle. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Adames nearly got the Giants’ first hit on a two-out grounder up the middle in the seventh, only for second baseman Ernie Clement to cut it off and throw him out. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Adjective
While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground. — Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026 Gosling portrays Ryland Grace, a middle-grade teacher and molecular biologist who reluctantly gets recruited for a desperate deep space mission to try and solve a cosmic conundrum that's causing our sun to slowly dim. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle
  1. mean
  2. midst
  3. waist
  4. halfway
  5. average
  6. midpoint
  7. center
  8. mid
Noun
  • At the moment, Congress is having a terrible time deciding how to levy taxes, go to war, protect Social Security, confirm judges and live within its means.
    — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Even a ceremony of modest means involves a financial output for a ceremony venue, the bride’s dress, and more.
    — Mathilde Engelmann, Vanity Fair, 5 July 2026
Definition of mean
Noun
  • Franchisees are reviving the Hut’s ’90s sit-down vibe in the midst of the chain’s sale to a private equity firm.
    — Emily Heil, Washington Post, 8 July 2026
  • The best of those teams won 17 games and reached the Super Bowl in 2015, in the midst of making the playoffs four times in five seasons.
    — Scott Fowler July 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
Definition of midst
Noun
  • While doing press for her film, The Odyssey, in New York City, the actress wore a bright red jumpsuit with a drop-waist peplum that showed off her baby bump.
    — Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • My dad, a police detective, made sure the Klansman saw his service revolver on his waist.
    — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of waist
Adjective
  • The Pirates are 9 1/2 games behind the National League Central Division leading Milwaukee Brewers – but only two games out of a playoff spot at the halfway point in the season.
    — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Dude’s pretty darn good with halfway decent quarterback play.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 24 June 2026
Definition of halfway
Adjective
  • That adds up to just $15,080 a year, based on a standard 40-hour workweek—less than a third of the average American’s salary of around $60,000 yearly.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • The battery life errs more on the average side and lacks magnetic charging, but the $200 Fourth of July discount makes up for it.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026
Definition of average
Noun
  • Malaysia’s Port Klang is located near the midpoint of the 550-mile strait.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 July 2026
  • At the midpoint of the WNBA season, New York jumped Minnesota and Las Vegas in our power rankings.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of midpoint
Noun
  • Neto bobbled the ball for an error, though, and Contreras crushed Johnson’s next pitch for his 20th homer, a 446-foot shot to left-center that left his bat at 112 mph and gave Boston a 5-3 lead.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of center
Adjective
  • Or BunnaB’s new-age futuristic rap taking you to mid-aughts snap music and then Atlanta bass.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 7 July 2026
  • Walls lined with Davidson sports memorabilia set the scene for a menu of mid-century classics, from cream cheese–and–olive sandwiches to chocolate malts and Betty Boop sundaes made with black cherry ice cream.
    — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 7 July 2026
Definition of mid

Phrases Containing middle

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middens
middle
middle age
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Cite this Entry

“Middle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on middle

Nglish: Translation of middle for Spanish Speakers

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