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Definitions

split the difference

VERB
compromise
Synonyms
STRONGEST
agree negotiate
STRONG
adjust arbitrate compose compound concede conciliate give and take settle
WEAK
find happy medium find middle ground go fifty-fifty make a deal make concession meet halfway play ball with strike balance trade off
Antonyms
STRONG
confuse disarrange upset
WEAK
contest differ disagree dispute dissent guard protect quarrel save
VERB
make concessions
Synonyms
WEAK
accommodate agree bargain compromise find a happy medium find the middle ground give and take go fifty-fifty make a deal reach an agreement settle strike a deal trade off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For that reason, you could split the difference with your daughter.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

A few plan to bypass the grid indefinitely, and others expect to split the difference, using a mix of grid and on-site power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

There are reasons to back either side here, so I am going to split the difference and go with a draw.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024

Several contemporary observers have tried to split the difference: Think like Jacobs, act like Moses.

From Slate • Sep. 16, 2024

How many times had he used me as a go-between to deliver packages to her, undercharging her so that later they could split the difference?

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes