as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
a candidate with middle-of-the-road views on most hot-button issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
middle of the road
2 of 2phrase
as in middle
a middle point between extremes
I'm in the middle of the road on that issue.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-of-the-road
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2026
There’s also a middle-of-the-road view, where AI leads to more jobs over the long term but only after a very disruptive transition period.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
And what of a middle-of-the-road dweller like Matt Hasselbeck?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
By running as middle-of-the-road centrists.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
Adjective
The organization clearly needs a youth infusion in the wings behind a stable starting offensive front, and Denver won’t be content to bring back the exact same middle-of-the-road TE room — Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull — to Week 1 in 2026.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2026
There’s also a middle-of-the-road view, where AI leads to more jobs over the long term but only after a very disruptive transition period.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
And what of a middle-of-the-road dweller like Matt Hasselbeck?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
By running as middle-of-the-road centrists.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-of-the-road
Adjective
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Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has been reluctant to support spending that would exceed the cap on a recurring basis and would prefer legislators pay for extra town aid by finding offsetting cuts elsewhere in the budget.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Kempthorne, a moderate Republican, was elected mayor of Boise in 1985 at age 34, and he was credited with revitalizing the downtown by securing an agreement to build a convention center and promoting other development.—
Gene Johnson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The fifth commission for the plinth on the High Line elevated park is an homage to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the pair of 6th-century colossi in central Afghanistan that the Taliban blew up in 2001.—
Benjamin Sutton,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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In an industry where the typical sample is a size zero, weight has always been central to a model’s success.—
Rory Satran,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Crypto apps like Coinbase have begun to diversify into non-crypto assets, and more traditional retail finance apps like Robinhood have begun to dip their toes into areas like tokenized stocks.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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People are in the right conditions, so meetings are more meaningful than in a traditional market where everything is back-to-back.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middle-of-the-road.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-of-the-road. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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