middle distance

noun

1
: a part of a pictorial representation or scene between the foreground and the background
2
: any footrace distance usually from 800 to 1500 meters or from 880 yards to one mile

Examples of middle distance in a Sentence

As I looked out over the water, a small boat appeared in the middle distance.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her council is still yapping at her, and her most powerful allies are moping and staring off into the middle distance. Brian Grubb, Vulture, 14 July 2024 The start of the broadcast television season also marks the return of my favorite broadcast television archetype, the antisocial genius who solves crimes/medical mysteries/legal quandaries by alternatingly squinting or staring off into the middle distance. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Further evidence of the U.S. emergence as a global middle distance power sparked by Centrowitz’s victory came in fifth place where Hobbs Kessler, the 21-year-old Michigan phenom now competing for adidas, finished in a personal best 3:29.45. Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 6 Aug. 2024 Coe that summer had just started to emerge as the leading threat to Ovett’s status as the world’s premier middle distance runner. Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for middle distance 

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle distance was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near middle distance

Cite this Entry

“Middle distance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle%20distance. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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