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.
-
the amusements, concessions, etc., located on or around this place or way.
noun
-
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
-
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:
While the home team never trailed, San Juan Hills cut the score to 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter after an improbable onside kick recovery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
The ride involved has not been specified but aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway, and multiple witnesses have identified the ride as the one involved in the incident.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
As Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the field midway through overtime on Monday night, he quickly realized who needed to take charge and put his team in position for a game-winning score.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Ipswich lost last time out, against Everton, but they gave it a real go even when they went down to 10 men midway through the second half.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Along the midway the Anti-Horse-Thief Society had a stand selling burgoo and roasting ears.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
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She shares this with Hannah Neeleman, the Ballerina Farm influencer who recently opened a boutique in Midway, Utah, that is driving locals up the wall.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Weber Pierson told the Times Monday that the amendments intended to help Midway Rising “haven’t crossed” the desk, meaning that the language hasn’t been inserted into Senate Bill 344.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Exactly three months later, when Walter arrived in his private plane at Chicago Midway International Airport, federal agents stepped forward with a search warrant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Midway through his season with the Owls, Charles was handed the Northern Ireland armband by O'Neill just 10 days after his 21st birthday, the youngest player to captain the country since Terry Neill in 1963.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Midway through Reggie’s sentence, he decided it was enough.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.