Split The Difference

B2 8+

Pronunciation: /splɪt ðə ˈdɪfərəns/

Definitions of split the difference

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific thing or set of things, such as 'difference'

Example Sentences

A1 I couldn't decide between the blue or red shirt, so I decided to split the difference and buy both.

A2 When negotiating the price of the car, they agreed to split the difference and meet in the middle.

B1 In order to compromise, they decided to split the difference on the budget for the project.

B2 The team had differing opinions on the design, so they had to split the difference and come up with a solution that satisfied everyone.

C1 After hours of debate, they finally agreed to split the difference and move forward with the merger.

C2 The lawyers were able to negotiate a settlement by splitting the difference between the two parties' demands.

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, such as 'split'

Example Sentences

A1 I couldn't decide between the blue or red shirt, so I split the difference and bought the purple one.

A2 When my friends couldn't agree on which movie to watch, they decided to split the difference and watch a comedy.

B1 The couple couldn't agree on where to go for dinner, so they decided to split the difference and go to a restaurant in the middle of their two choices.

B2 In a negotiation, it's important to find a compromise that both parties can agree on, sometimes you have to split the difference to reach a resolution.

C1 When working on a project with conflicting opinions, it's often necessary to split the difference in order to move forward and make progress.

C2 The politicians were at a standstill, but eventually they were able to split the difference and come to a bipartisan agreement on the new legislation.

article a word that is used with a noun to specify grammatical definiteness of the noun, such as 'the'

Example Sentences

A1 When my friend and I couldn't decide on a movie to watch, we decided to split the difference and watch a comedy.

A2 The couple couldn't agree on where to go for dinner, so they decided to split the difference and go to a new restaurant in town.

B1 In a negotiation, it's important to find a compromise where both parties are satisfied, sometimes you have to split the difference to reach an agreement.

B2 When it comes to budgeting for a project, it's often necessary to split the difference between what you want and what you can afford.

C1 The business partners were at odds over the direction of the company, but they were able to split the difference and come up with a strategic plan that satisfied both of them.

C2 In a legal settlement, both parties must be willing to split the difference in order to avoid a lengthy and costly trial.

Examples of split the difference in a Sentence

formal After much negotiation, the two parties agreed to split the difference and settle on a compromise.

informal Let's just split the difference and call it a day.

slang We can split the diff and meet in the middle.

figurative Sometimes in life, you have to split the difference between what you want and what is practical.

Grammatical Forms of split the difference

past tense

split the difference

plural

split the differences

comparative

more split the difference

superlative

most split the difference

present tense

splits the difference

future tense

will split the difference

perfect tense

has split the difference

continuous tense

is splitting the difference

singular

splits the difference

positive degree

split the difference

infinitive

to split the difference

gerund

splitting the difference

participle

splitting the difference

Origin and Evolution of split the difference

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'split the difference' originated from the practice of dividing a disagreement or difference in half to reach a compromise.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to mean dividing something equally, the phrase evolved to be used figuratively to describe reaching a compromise by meeting halfway between two opposing positions.