as in underworld
a social sphere that exists outside of the mainstream
the half-world of tattoo addicts who regard the body embellishments not merely as fashion statements but as works of art and fundamental expressions of personal identity
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Recent Examples of half-world
On a sultry Monday night a half-world away from where her problems began, the 23-year-old earned a gold medal at world championships in the biggest 100-meter race this side of the Olympics.
—
CBS News, 22 Aug. 2023
Being in that half-world of reality and filming was genuinely terrifying.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 6 May 2023
CBS News, 22 Aug. 2023
Being in that half-world of reality and filming was genuinely terrifying.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 6 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-world
underworld
Noun
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The pic which stars a murderer’s row of thespians including Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Al Pacino, and Martin Scorsese, follows a disillusioned author who is drawn into a violent underworld quest to authenticate a manuscript believed to be Dante Alighieri’s original Divine Comedy.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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When Martin gets blackmailed by gangsters, the pair knock off a mafia henchman and plunge themselves deep into the Australian underworld, all while trying to keep their business afloat.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-world.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-world. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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