midway
1 Americanadverb
noun
-
a place or part situated midway.
-
(often initial capital letter) the place or way, as at a fair or carnival, on or along which sideshows and similar amusements are located.
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the amusements, concessions, etc., located on or around this place or way.
noun
-
several U.S. islets in the N Pacific, about 1,300 miles (2,095 km) NW of Hawaii: Japanese defeated in a naval battle June, 1942; 2 sq. mi. (5 sq. km).
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an airport in Chicago.
adjective
noun
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a place in a fair, carnival, etc, where sideshows are located
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obsolete a middle place, way, etc
Etymology
Origin of midway
First recorded before 900; Middle English midwei, Old English midweg; see mid 1, way 1; midway defs. 3, 4 after the Midway Plaisance, the main thoroughfare of the World Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893
Explanation
Anything midway between two points is halfway between them. A midway is also a place at a carnival where sideshow entertainment is located. Being midway is being at a midpoint or the center. If you're halfway between home and school, you're midway between those two places. At the end of sophomore year, you're midway through high school. Another type of midway is part of a fair or carnival. On the midway, you'll find sideshow amusements such as a bearded lady, a snake charmer, or someone swallowing a sword.
Vocabulary lists containing midway
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #3
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Charlotte's Web
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Water for Elephants
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And though mandatory three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half have been added, Trudeau questions their impact.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to leave Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday after taking a puck to his face on a slap shot midway through the first period.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Former Cine & TV Artistes' Association official Amit Behl said filmmakers often cannot afford to halt shoots midway, especially when a large crew or elaborate action sequences are involved.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Located midway between Chinese and Iranian waters, the roughly 500-square-mile area usually has calm waters and is within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, yet outside of its territorial waters.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
He and Nicole stared in horror as Rashawn sailed off the edge, then stalled midway across as if she’d smashed into an invisible wall.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.