# split the difference

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/split-the-difference
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To choose an option or take a position roughly midway between two opposed alternatives; to compromise.

## Examples

- The price is too high, so let's split the difference.
- We could not agree on a meeting time, so we decided to split the difference and meet at noon.
- Rather than continuing their long argument over the budget, the two managers agreed to split the difference to ensure the project could move forward.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.