halfway

1 of 2

adverb

: midway between two points
At length the cat steps halfway out the door, showing his spotted brown coat and the stripes on his legs. Paul Comstock

halfway

2 of 2

adjective

1
: midway between two points
at the halfway point/mark
2
: partial
a halfway solution

Examples of halfway in a Sentence

Adjective She was leading at the halfway mark of the race. We're halfway toward completing the project. They're only offering halfway measures, not a real solution.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
What To Know The USGS reported that the earthquake occurred at 6:23 p.m. EST, positioned roughly halfway between the Cayman Islands and Honduras. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025 His left arm had to be cut above the elbow, halfway up the bicep. Christopher O'Donnell, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Bottom line: At around the halfway point of the reporting period, the season may not be as positive as the headline numbers indicate. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025 Despite the hot streak, San Diego sits third in the Major Arena Soccer League, trailing first-place Chihuahua (13-2-0, 37 points) and second-place Baltimore (10-1-0, 29 points) as the regular season approaches the halfway point. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for halfway 

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English half wey, from half half entry 2 + wey way entry 1

Adjective

derivative of halfway entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of halfway was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near halfway

Cite this Entry

“Halfway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halfway. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

halfway

adjective
1
: midway between two points
stop at the halfway mark
2
: partial sense 3
halfway measures
halfway adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on halfway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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