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

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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
The middle is crumbly, moist and odorless, with bits of charcoal from long-ago fires. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Haaland was, literally, hopping mad after Bouaddi broke through the middle and elected to clip a pass out wide to the left, with the Norwegian waiting to his right. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
The aircraft targets what the logistics industry calls the middle mile. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Lower-income households made up the largest share of bettors by income group, at 37%, compared with 34% for middle-income and 29% for higher-income households. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 7 Sep. 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
  • The power is in the hands of the owners of the means of production, and that is not the doctors.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That’s well above 2025’s monthly average of 10,000 jobs, but below the monthly means for 2023 and 2024.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of mean
Noun
  • In the midst of everything, Granado Montano turned her Los Angeles restaurant, Full Arepas, into a relief hub, filling shipping containers with donations to be sent to Venezuela.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The company just beat the high end of its guidance on every key metric, and did so in the midst of a Middle East conflict that has weighed on the travel sector most of its fiscal year.
    — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of midst
Noun
  • Clancy later jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt, which left her paralyzed from the waist down.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • My mom has an eye for detail, and this button-down jumpsuit has that trending gingham print, a waist-cinching corset bodice, and pleats for extra sophistication.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of waist
Adjective
  • The 24-year-old, like Gordon, who replaced him in the second half, offered energetic pressing, even sprinting from close to the halfway line to close down the goalkeeper at one point.
    — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 26-year-old information technology administrator consumed a Red Bull energy drink around the film's halfway mark to stay alert.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Definition of halfway
Adjective
  • The Lions recorded the third-slowest average time to pressure last season.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Before this year,the national average price for gas on Labor Day had never been above $4 a gallon.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of average
Noun
  • Surviving the early part of the season will be critical for this team to take flight at the midpoint.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The Lido is a useful midpoint from Venice for visits to other uncrowded historic islands for a taste of authentic village life.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of midpoint
Noun
  • The latest forecast predicts the center will pass roughly 115 to 150 miles west of Kauai, close enough that any additional eastward shifts in the track could bring stronger winds and greater impacts, particularly to Kauai, the hurricane center said.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The center makes the protection calls, and often, zone runs cut vertically toward the center.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of center
Adjective
  • Michigan's mid-term election ballot is littered with socialists.
    — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • While Toronto will enter next season with a rotation of Dylan Cease, José Soriano, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and Spencer Arrighetti, there’s a clear need for another mid-rotation starter in that group.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 9 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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