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half the battle

Idioms

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.”

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.

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

"Recognising it is half the battle," he told host Lauren Laverne.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

The narration is one of the prime areas of a speech in which you are able to spin, and framing the terms of the debate is half the battle won.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023