halftime

or half-time

[ haf-tahym, hahf- ]

/ ˈhæfˌtaɪm, ˈhɑf- /

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noun

the period indicating completion of half the time allowed for an activity, as for a football or basketball game or an examination.

Sports. the intermission or rest period between the two halves of a football, basketball, or other game, during which spectators are often entertained by baton twirling, marching bands, or the like.

adjective

pertaining to or taking place during a halftime: The football fans were treated to a halftime exhibition by the marching band.

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Origin of halftime

First recorded in 1870–75; half + time

Words nearby halftime

half term, half the battle, half tide, half tiger, half-timbered, halftime, half title, halftone, half-track, half-truth, half-turn

How to use halftime in a sentence

Clark complied, scoring all 14 of his points after halftime to spark a 57-49 win at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.
Virginia pulls away from Georgia Tech, tightens grip on first place in ACC|Gene Wang|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Tampa Bay jumped to a 7-3 lead after the first quarter and added 14 more points before halftime, giving the Bucs a 21-6 lead.
That really was one of the least enjoyable Super Bowls of all time|Neil Greenberg|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The Left Shark remains at the top of the halftime show’s virality mountain, the Tom Brady of Super Bowl memes.
The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance sparked a bounty of memes, as the halftime show usually does|Travis Andrews|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Here’s the DPI that set up a potential Tampa score right before halftime.
Referee already had a history with the Chiefs. The Super Bowl was the latest chapter.|Matt Bonesteel|February 8, 2021|Washington Post

Mahomes reached halftime Sunday night at 9 for 19 for 67 yards.
NFL defenses no longer dominate, making Bucs’ shutdown of Chiefs even more impressive|Chuck Culpepper|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
In fact, he's not even high on the list of NFL players one jerks off too during halftime at Gillette Stadium.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
By halftime a crowd of what appeared to be a few hundred people had amassed in the bitter cold.
‘I Can’t Breathe’ Makes It Onto the Court for Will and Kate to See|Jacob Siegel|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At halftime somebody had come into the dressing room and told us Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japs.
Football Great Bob Suffridge Wanders Through the End Zone of Life|Paul Hemphill|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A contest is divided into two 45-minute periods with a 15-minute halftime, and there are no commercials to interrupt the action.
Rupert Murdoch Bets a Half-Billion Dollars That the Next World Cup Will Be Even Bigger in America|Evan Weiner|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The second goal came on the brink of halftime, after Casillas punched a ball right back at the feet of Charles Aranguiz.
Chile Ends Spain’s World Cup Reign|Tunku Varadarajan|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But putting him on halftime, and Nels with five children to support, seemed like extreme punishment.
Double Challenge|James Arthur Kjelgaard

British Dictionary definitions for halftime

half-time

noun

sport

a rest period between the two halves of a game
(as modifier)the half-time score

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012