partway

[ pahrt-wey, -wey ]

/ ˈpɑrtˈweɪ, -ˌweɪ /

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adverb

at or to a part of the way or distance: Shall I walk you partway? I'm already partway home.

in some degree or part partly; partially: hopes that were only partway realized.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Origin of partway

First recorded in 1855–60; part + way¹

Words nearby partway

parturient fever, parturifacient, parturiometer, parturition, part. vic., partway, part with, part work, part-writing, party, party boat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use partway in a sentence

We feed in a jpg of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, then stop analysis partway through.
This NFT Painting Is a Work of Art - Issue 104: Harmony|Arthur I. Miller|August 18, 2021|Nautilus
When in doubt, pick a shorter, easier trail—or plan to hike partway, then turn back.
How to Plan a Day Hike|Blair Braverman|June 8, 2021|Outside Online
Where the glacier was thicker, she drilled just partway through.
Local glacier could be gone in a decade, young scientist finds|Bethany Brookshire|May 24, 2021|Science News For Students
In late 2020, when CarbonPlan was partway through its analysis, study co-author Danny Cullenward pitched the study as a story to Technology Review.
The climate solution actually adding millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere|James Temple, Lisa Song|April 29, 2021|MIT Technology Review

“Hitting the wall” is a running metaphor, describing the phenomenon of suddenly running out of energy partway through a long race.
‘Oh, we’re still in this.’ The pandemic wall is here.|Maura Judkis|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
The stars of the video also get a little weird partway through the clip (see 2:08).
Alicia Keys, Will.i.am & More Best Music Videos of the Week (VIDEO)|Jean Trinh|April 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Partway through, the perspective shifts to the federal agents investigating them.
The Best 9/11 Books|The Browser|September 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The grumblings among his new colleagues prompted Burger to back off, but only partway.
Advice for a New Justice|Seth Stern, Stephen Wermiel|October 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST
There is a supplementary table of contents partway through the France section, covering only the Polytechnic.
Military schools and courses of instruction in the science and art of war|Henry Barnard
Partway up the little rocky eminence stands an old house, now fast falling to pieces.
Not Pretty, But Precious|John Hay, et al.
One group of men stayed for an incredibly long time on a ledge partway down the face, but in the end they too had to come away.
The Fifth Leicestershire|J.D. Hills
Naked, he walked to the door leading to the balcony and pushed it partway open.
The Saracen: The Holy War|Robert Shea
They went overhead, more brilliant than the brightest stars, and when partway down to the horizon they suddenly winked out.
The Pirates of Ersatz|Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for partway

partway

/ (ˈpɑːtˌweɪ) /

adverb

some of the way; partlyI stopped reading partway through the chapter

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