mid·dle-of-the-road ˈmi-dᵊl-əv-ṯẖə-ˈrōd 
: standing for or following a course of action midway between extremes
especially : being neither liberal nor conservative in politics
: a course of action or a standpoint midway between extremes
Examples of middle-of-the-road in a Sentence
Adjective a candidate with middle-of-the-road views on most hot-button issues
Recent Examples on the Web
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026 The Clippers are middle-of-the-road. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The arrest report also noted Woods swerved into the middle of the road. —CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
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.
Adjective
While discouraging teams from being truly awful has merit, this structure would retain the incentive for middle-of-the-road teams to become worse. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026 The Clippers are middle-of-the-road. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun phrase
The child was located in the middle of the road by a passerby who contacted PSP. —Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The arrest report also noted Woods swerved into the middle of the road. —CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle-of-the-road
Cite this Entry
“Middle-of-the-road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/middle-of-the-road. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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