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
One of the reasons these kit-ranking articles usually work is, for the most part, there are typically enough good ones to gush over, enough middling ones to shrug about, and enough bad ones to have some slightly snidey fun in giving them a kicking.
—
Nick Miller, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Our tasters agreed that texture was a critical factor in differentiating a middling scoop from a great one.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
Until the Heat gets real and welcomes Pat Riley or his way overdue replacement to the 21st century, the middling Heat will have an annual reservation at the NBA table of mediocrity.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Loser, for example, dragged Pop off middling ambient music but lacked the teeth of his tracks with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Nick Miller, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Our tasters agreed that texture was a critical factor in differentiating a middling scoop from a great one.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
Until the Heat gets real and welcomes Pat Riley or his way overdue replacement to the 21st century, the middling Heat will have an annual reservation at the NBA table of mediocrity.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Loser, for example, dragged Pop off middling ambient music but lacked the teeth of his tracks with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
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Next year, these plans for retirees will increase on average by less than 1%.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
-
How heat can impact the body Typically, during extreme heat -- meaning temperatures are hotter or more humid than average -- the body tries to cool itself by sweating.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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There is still a decent spread amongst model guidance, but a track farther north would result in a better chance of severe weather, while a track farther south would lead to more general rain showers and thunderstorms.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Accompaniment assigns first priority to those in greatest need and those most likely to be left out of dignified and decent treatment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Affordable housing is usually for people making up to 80% of the area’s median income, and workforce housing is usually for people making up to 120%.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
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Livability reports that the median home value in Carmel is $477,625, while the median monthly rent is $1,457.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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The game was pretty mediocre aside from the very beginning and the very end, when Qatar’s injury-time equalizer was met with a shocked wave of sound from the large lawn, but again, no one really seemed to mind.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Usually bad Red Sox teams tend to have good to mediocre lineups and poor pitching and defense.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic system will be launched from Saronic’s Marauder medium unmanned surface vessel, with a demonstration at sea planned for 2027.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
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For sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, and a pinch salt.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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Iran hawks and an array of dissidents and mainstream voices within the Republican Party have cast doubt on whether the agreement secured satisfactory concessions from Iran.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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In several tweets shared to X on Monday, June 15, the 44-year-old former professional soccer player called out the company for allegedly delaying a flight and not resolving the issue in a satisfactory manner.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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The company’s founders say the idea came from watching ordinary people struggle to access opportunities that increasingly depended on technical knowledge.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.—
Jennifer McDermott,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Our son, now in his late 40s, was indifferent to his father’s decline.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
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Authoritarian regimes are not indifferent to domestic political constraints.—
Alexis Montambault-Trudelle,
The Conversation,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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