half the battle

Idioms  

1. A successful beginning, as in You've got the shopping list done—that's half the battle. This expression is an abbreviation of an 18th-century proverb, “The first blow is half the battle.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

half the battle

But getting through the hearing is only half the battle.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

Showing up at those places is half the battle, really.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

Staying focused on numbers is half the battle, Mikula said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

But getting to her was only half the battle; they still had to find some way to get her out of there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025

I said that defining your terms is half the battle won.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith