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

Winning the election is just half the battle.

From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026

But getting through the hearing is only half the battle.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

"Like only half the battle is creating the safe space. The other half of the battle is getting people to not do these things and not have these behaviours."

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2025

Besides, by now I knew: Just to get on TV and speak on behalf of girls’ education was half the battle.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai