half 1 of 3

noun

ˈhaf How to pronounce half (audio)
Definition of halfnext
1
as in part
one of two equal or nearly equal parts to be fair, we should each get half the pie

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2
as in match
either of a pair matched in one or more qualities it's the bottom half of the ninth inning, and the Yankees are up at bat

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half

2 of 3

adjective

as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part half measures that did nothing but prolong the problem

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half

3 of 3

adverb

1
as in ever
in any way or respect this cut on your arm isn't half as bad as it looks

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2
as in halfway
in some measure or degree what you said is only half true

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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 half
Noun
Nearly half of executives believe today’s college grads arrive with stronger AI and technical skills than life skills. — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Malonga had a first-half dunk for Team Coop, but Team Spoon had eight players score in double figures in an All-Star Game that featured 127 3-point attempts and very little defense. — Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Adjective
One of the charges, his half-sister said, involved slamming his hand on the hood of an NYPD van that was blocking traffic in Times Square. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Just minutes from Arrowhead Stadium, the zoo makes for an easy half-day or full-day outing before or after a game. — Taylor Haught, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
Adverb
Somehow, your prized tree still ends up half-dead after a few months. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026 Picture trying to evaluate that same restaurant recommendation from your friend while responding to your boss’s texts, half-listening to a podcast and keeping an eye on a pot of pasta on the stove, all at the end of a long week. — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for half
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half
  1. part
  2. match
  3. incomplete
  4. ever
  5. halfway
  6. section
  7. equivalent
  8. partial
Noun
  • This metric measures the quality of each chance as a player shoots, accounting for many contextual factors, including the angle and distance of the shot, and the body part used for the effort.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Many have spent years building the company and are entitled to realize part of that value.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of part
Noun
  • He was also sent off for a headbutt against an opponent who provoked him in his last ever match, which happened to be the 2006 World Cup final; his human reaction laid bare on the highest stage of all.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The SummerSlam card, featuring major title matches, appears largely set.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of match
Adjective
  • The honest response is not to force a number out of an incomplete taxonomy.
    — Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • To grab the satellite, engineers first identify a safe attachment point and estimate the object’s shape, mass and motion, often while working off incomplete information.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
Definition of incomplete
Adverb
  • Hundreds of kilometers away in the towns near Madrid, Spanish authorities declared that the fires burning there, fanned by strong winds and searing temperatures, were the worst-ever in the region’s history.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Salesforce has been seeing an increase in government business, saying in its earnings release back in May that annual recurring revenue (ARR) in its public sector cloud exceeded $2 billion for the first time ever.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz,Natasha Abellard,Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 July 2026
Definition of ever
Adverb
  • The singer was sitting there, with a little smile on his face and his hand held halfway up.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • The ideal nap time is a little earlier than halfway between your morning waking time and nightly bedtime.
    — Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 21 July 2026
Definition of halfway
Noun
  • Whether driven by admiration or nostalgia for his first spell, the club’s fans flooded the comments section welcoming back their hero.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • All of these tariffs are being instituted using a variety of different statutes, known by three-digit numbers - 122, 338, 232, 301 - for the sections of laws being invoked.
    — Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 24 July 2026
Definition of section
Noun
  • See the hundreds of billions worth of cash equivalents sitting on Berkshire Hathaway’s balance sheet then, and now.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The exhibitor generated $190 million in free cash flow and ended the quarter with $778 million of cash and cash equivalents.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 July 2026
Definition of equivalent
Adjective
  • Trump’s top border policy advisor, Tom Homan, told Fox News on Monday that monthly detention numbers dipped because of the partial government shutdown earlier this year.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • While that shutdown ostensibly ended in mid-November, a partial government shutdown dragged on through April, snarling the Department of Homeland Security and causing long delays and confusion at airports across the country.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 23 July 2026
Definition of partial

Phrases Containing half

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hales
half
half-and-half
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Cite this Entry

“Half.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of half for Spanish Speakers

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