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Synonyms

halves

American  
[havz, hahvz] / hævz, hɑvz /

noun

  1. plural of half.

idioms

  1. by halves,

    1. incompletely or partially.

      to do things by halves.

    2. halfheartedly.

      better not at all than by halves.

  2. go halves, to share equally; divide evenly.

halves More Idioms  

  1. see by halves; go halves. Also see under half.

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.

Secular and Christian popular culture swim in opposing halves of divided entertainment waters, despite broadcast TV’s lengthy history of featuring Christian-leaning shows.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

He offered to go halves on a handbag for Lauren, despite having never met either woman, and even suggested a possible "wedding in Vegas".

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

This step effectively divided the surface code into two separate halves.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

“It is probably a tale of two halves, as is much of the economic outlook,” said Tony Crescenzi, Pimco executive vice president and portfolio manager.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

Sometimes, they even bite off the distal halves of each other’s antennae, to eliminate the temptation.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.