as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
a candidate with middle-of-the-road views on most hot-button issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
middle of the road
2 of 2phrase
as in middle
a middle point between extremes
I'm in the middle of the road on that issue.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-of-the-road
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
They were compared to 15 who scored very high and were basically music lovers, and another 15 who were middle-of-the-road between those two extremes.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
The film, which also stars the singer-songwriter Halsey, received middle-of-the-road reviews from critics and barely made a dent with $500,000 in sales from 1,100 theaters.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Yet just a few years ago, Arias was a middle-of-the-road midfielder for middle-of-the-road clubs in his homeland of Colombia.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
Adjective
There might be nothing worse in the NFL than being a middle-of-the-road team that cannot make noise deep into the postseason.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
They were compared to 15 who scored very high and were basically music lovers, and another 15 who were middle-of-the-road between those two extremes.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
The film, which also stars the singer-songwriter Halsey, received middle-of-the-road reviews from critics and barely made a dent with $500,000 in sales from 1,100 theaters.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Yet just a few years ago, Arias was a middle-of-the-road midfielder for middle-of-the-road clubs in his homeland of Colombia.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-of-the-road
Adjective
-
Cuomo’s base skews older and more moderate.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Stick to moderate amounts, like a small handful of almonds or a bit of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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More than 20 televisions will show football and sports with live music, pool tables and a central horseshoe bar.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
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Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and took around 250 hostages, and their release has been a central tenet of the first phase of the peace agreement.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Other times, the mob leaned on more traditional crime tactics — robbery, extortion and assault, including a punch to one victim’s face — to force the card players to pay.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Tight ends fiercely preserve their own history and the nuances of their position, preferring peer-to-peer coaching to more traditional coach/player dynamics.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middle-of-the-road.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-of-the-road. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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