middle-of-the-roadism

noun

Definition of middle-of-the-roadismnext
as in sacrifice

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-of-the-roadism
  1. sacrifice
  2. frugality
  3. mortification
  4. asceticism
  5. self-denial
  6. austerity
  7. self-discipline
  8. restraint
Noun
  • Campbell cautioned that this doesn’t mean that the hundreds of other burials in these areas were also victims of human sacrifice.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Travis Roy Rogers plays Darrel Curtis, the eldest who has been forced to take on a parental role and is starting to resent all his unappreciated sacrifices.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sacrifice
Noun
  • Tom’s frugality also lured Nancy into the business on the pretense of spending more time together.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In real life, Andrew’s frugality drove a wedge between him and his daughters.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of frugality
Noun
  • Despite the Warriors operating with a pathetic sense of self-mortification — bending over backward for the mere possibility the King might grace them with his presence — the power of friendship wasn’t enough to lure James to the Bay.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
  • Now fully convinced of Broadwater’s innocence, Sebold looks back on the entire episode with deep mortification.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of mortification
Noun
  • In the face of fresh crisis, belief veered towards asceticism and sometimes mysticism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Just books and plays, and an asceticism associated with the priests Jim would often play.
    — Carl Kurlander, Deadline, 13 June 2026
Definition of asceticism
Noun
  • Automatic contributions, delayed payment windows, small rituals that add friction to impulse spending — these are all behavioral architecture moves, not acts of self-denial.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • At the beginning of her relationship with John, Carolyn’s central problem was that being part of the Kennedy family demanded some level of self-denial.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of self-denial
Noun
  • Just north of Manchester, the former mill town of Bury was hit hard by deindustrialization, then faced additional struggles under the austerity movement of the twenty-tens.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That movement was a reaction to evictions and other issues after a global economic crisis, including unemployment, austerity measures and corruption.
    — Alicia León, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of austerity
Noun
  • Success requires self-discipline, resilience and the ability to stay productive without the structure of a traditional office.
    — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Some employ chatbots for fun or companionship, but many others use them to support their mental health care—from attempting to self-diagnose conditions to helping with self-discipline.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 June 2026
Definition of self-discipline
Noun
  • The Houthis appear to have mistaken Saudi restraint for an inability to act.
    — Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Hamas, which has been decimated but not yet unseated, has so far shown relative restraint and a willingness to absorb regular hits, including a series of assassinations of its members and regular airstrikes by Israel.
    — KHALED ELGINDY, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of restraint
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.

Browse Nearby Words

middle-of-the-roaders
middle-of-the-roadism
middler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle-of-the-roadism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-of-the-roadism. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All