middle-of-the-roader

Definition of middle-of-the-roadernext
as in moderate
a person who holds moderate views since the party's middle-of-the-roaders often lack verve, the activists inevitably nominate some extremist who can't win in the general election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-of-the-roader
Noun
  • Right-wing and far-right parties formed an unlikely coalition to pass the measure, breaking past barriers that had kept these groups politically isolated from moderates.
    Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Frightened moderates begged the president to dump the idea.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Now Los Angeles stands just two months from its own mayoral election, facing the question of whether the city wants to stand pat with Mayor Karen Bass, or make an ideological correction, turning to a centrist, a la San Francisco, or banking left, like New York.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Austria's three-party centrist coalition is now joining the trend.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle-of-the-roader.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-of-the-roader. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster