1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middling
Coming off a middling spring training from a surface-level results perspective, Freeland immediately fell into a two-strike count in his first at-bat of the season.
—
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
The retailer is having a comeback after a middling 2025.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Hitting was a major concern last regular season for the Rangers, who got middling production in terms of home runs (18th) and RBIs (19th) and struggled to consistently get on base, ranking 26th in batting average and OBP.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
The Afeela brought bland styling for a fastback, middling 300-mile (483 km) range, and fairly commonplace in-cabin features for an entry-level luxury car.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
The retailer is having a comeback after a middling 2025.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Hitting was a major concern last regular season for the Rangers, who got middling production in terms of home runs (18th) and RBIs (19th) and struggled to consistently get on base, ranking 26th in batting average and OBP.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
The Afeela brought bland styling for a fastback, middling 300-mile (483 km) range, and fairly commonplace in-cabin features for an entry-level luxury car.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
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Numbers began to skyrocket around the time of the Artemis II launch on April 1st, peaking at around 12,434 at time of writing— a huge jump against the game's standard average player count, which hovers around 3,000 to 4,000.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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The payments cover a 20% additional tax burden triggered by the IRS when an executive collects more than three times their average total compensation.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The various sights at the castle – a decent history museum, frescoed chapel, old-fashioned printing press, and wine cellar – are cute, but the real reason to come up here is to bask in the sweeping panoramas.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
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Hoskin is a 6-1, 190-pound winger with a pro release, offensive sense and skill, and decent skating that has improved over the years.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2024 — the last year for which federal data is available — the median annual wage for air traffic controllers was $144,580, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In 1998, Bezos’ $81,400 yearly salary was more than double the median salary of $31,096 for men at the time.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Nikola Vučević trade at the 2021 deadline was the first in a series of win-now moves that turned a bad team into, ultimately, a sad and mediocre one.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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All-inclusive resorts often come with a certain connotation, one characterized by mediocre food, overcrowded common areas, and a general lack of authenticity.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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William Atherton’s Jerry Hathaway—the money-hungry mad king behind Project Crossbow—is unfortunately medium plausible.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Dryers designed to limit damage are generally medium wattage, so expect to see motors with 1,500 watts or less.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Privately, some writers walking the staff picket line still had faith in WGAW management to negotiate a satisfactory deal with the AMPTP amid the drama.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
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Safety, satisfactory customer service, and ensuring riders feel secure are best achieved by maintaining — and even increasing — staffing in transit systems.—
John Samuelsen,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Events like this have begun to feel ordinary—recurring evidence of the mismatch between aging infrastructure and an emerging ecological reality.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The judge said that conduct, as described in the complaint, could rise above ordinary discipline and implicate a constitutional violation of the student's right to bodily integrity.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There’s still time for an indifferent citizenry to get on board, to embrace NASA’s goals, to proceed into the future, to marvel at efforts to return to the lunar surface and, eventually, to chart the pathway to Mars.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Leo said that in a world hurt by wars and abuses, people need hope and peace, urging against growing accustomed to violence and indifferent to the death of tens of thousands.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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