by half

Idioms  

1. Considerably, a great deal, as in He was too good a cook by half for this small restaurant. [c. a.d. 1000] Contrast by halves.

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Example Sentences

When the researchers incorporated their measurements into astrophysical models, they reduced the uncertainty in the predicted abundance of selenium-74 by half.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

The local government's aim is to cut that population by half, and 24,000 animals have been culled so far this year.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Corrections & Amplifications: BlackRock’s estimate that a small amount of private assets would boost retirement plan returns by half a percentage point a year comes from its internal modeling.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

While U.S. crude production has increased by about 50% over the last decade, California’s output has fallen by half.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Industrial production had fallen by half in those four years.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown