1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middling
Through the first two middling periods of play, the Leafs had no business laughing or hoping to get out of British Columbia with a victory.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
That’s bad news for hundreds of middling private equity firms waiting for a lifeboat that may never come.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Johnson said the Cowboys could make a run if the team can just improve to middling.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
That one features a middling 8-core Dimensity D7400 Ultra chipset, and starts at just INR 20,000 or US$218 (with higher RAM and storage configuration options available for just a few dollars more).
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
That’s bad news for hundreds of middling private equity firms waiting for a lifeboat that may never come.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Johnson said the Cowboys could make a run if the team can just improve to middling.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
That one features a middling 8-core Dimensity D7400 Ultra chipset, and starts at just INR 20,000 or US$218 (with higher RAM and storage configuration options available for just a few dollars more).
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
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Observations of transits of Venus, which only occur twice per century, on average (most recently in 2012), were humanity’s first indication that Venus possessed — whereas Mercury lacked — a substantial atmosphere.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The average transaction price (ATP) on a new vehicle hit $50,000 for the first time ever last fall, according to Kelley Blue Book.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Dolphins had a decent, although not necessarily strong 2025 draft class despite the fact all seven draftees got playing time last season, and five made at least one start.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Education isn’t a cure-all; North Korea appears to have decent schools yet is impoverished and totalitarian.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The actual costs for things such as meat, dairy, produce, frozen foods and cleaning products were compared to the state's median household income to determine where people spend the most.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Because of that, said Burton, the bill classifies lot rental fees as a homeownership activity, meaning that mobile home owners making less than 140% of area median income — $123,900 for a family of four in Miami-Dade County — could qualify for up to six months of lot rental assistance.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When a team has a losing or mediocre season over several seasons shouldn’t the coach take some of the blame.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Hedda — the bored, mercurial and vicious wife of a mediocre academic — is known as the Hamlet of women’s roles because it’s widely considered the most complex female part ever written for the stage.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The are headed to medium-Earth orbit at about 5,000 miles altitude.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Serve chilled or warm the rice pudding in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding more milk as needed to loosen the mixture.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Roma wanted a satisfactory replacement signed before letting Tsimikas return.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Yeah … very satisfactory to hear that.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Their goal with the video was to push back against the president’s domestic troop deployments, a trend his critics feared might lead to clashes with ordinary Americans or be used to interfere in upcoming elections.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Nothing out of the ordinary there, admittedly.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And yet, the director is anything but indifferent to what’s happening on the ground, making numerous visits to Nir Oz and getting as close to the Palestinian side as possible, even if the army keeps turning her away.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Combine those ingredients and the result is images that horrify a nation grown tragically indifferent to things that should stop a civilized society in its tracks.—
Melissa Derosa,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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