midway
1 Americanadverb
noun
-
a place or part situated midway.
-
(often initial capital letter) the place or way, as at a fair or carnival, on or along which sideshows and similar amusements are located.
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the amusements, concessions, etc., located on or around this place or way.
noun
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several U.S. islets in the N Pacific, about 1,300 miles (2,095 km) NW of Hawaii: Japanese defeated in a naval battle June, 1942; 2 sq. mi. (5 sq. km).
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an airport in Chicago.
adjective
noun
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a place in a fair, carnival, etc, where sideshows are located
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obsolete a middle place, way, etc
Etymology
Origin of midway
First recorded before 900; Middle English midwei, Old English midweg; see mid 1, way 1; midway defs. 3, 4 after the Midway Plaisance, the main thoroughfare of the World Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893
Explanation
Anything midway between two points is halfway between them. A midway is also a place at a carnival where sideshow entertainment is located. Being midway is being at a midpoint or the center. If you're halfway between home and school, you're midway between those two places. At the end of sophomore year, you're midway through high school. Another type of midway is part of a fair or carnival. On the midway, you'll find sideshow amusements such as a bearded lady, a snake charmer, or someone swallowing a sword.
Vocabulary lists containing midway
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #3
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Charlotte's Web
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Water for Elephants
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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.
See Examples For:
“San Marcos Theme” arrives midway as an aural palate cleanser before Price raises the energy another notch in the back half, the sequence that begins with the Charlie Daniels cover and ends with “Maggie’s Farm.”
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
China enters a busy week for economic data as investors assess the economy’s health midway through the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
This is the highest number of human disease cases reported midway through the year since 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
However, when neurons are subjected to mechanical stress while squeezing through tight spaces, the enzyme can become trapped midway through the process, leaving sections of DNA broken.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
She picked an empty seat midway back and hoped that no one would take the spot next to her.
From "George" by Alex Gino
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Midway through an eight-day vacation to Venice and the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in May, I received a text from the wife of my 72-year-old sister, Robin, telling me to call.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Meanwhile, World War II encompasses 69 pages, but to be fair, it covers pretty much everything from the Battle of Midway to lesser-known theaters in Tunisia and the Marshall Islands.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Meanwhile, hundreds of Chicagoans watched from a distance on the Midway Plaisance, the mile-long park stretching past the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught law.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Midway through a conversation about claims Lord Mandelson could be rejected by Trump due to his ties to the EU, the peer said: "I am getting very worried about Chagos".
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Midway through the song, Seven and Layla come back out.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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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.