in-between

1 of 2

adjective or noun

in-be·​tween ˌin-bi-ˈtwēn How to pronounce in-between (audio)
Synonyms of in-betweennext
: intermediate

in between

2 of 2

adverb or preposition

: between

Examples of in-between in a Sentence

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.
Adjective or noun
But O’Connell, who serves somewhat as an in-between, gets to stick around as well. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Kripke and Bert want to leave, Stuart and Denise opt to stay, leading to the former duo being stuck falling in an endless void in-between universes. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Adverb or preposition
The best part of the recording, though, is hearing the old friends crack each other up in between tossing off casually brilliant takes of a classic in the making. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 But in between the jump scares and supernatural horrors is a story of motherhood and confronting the past. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in-between

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Noun

1815, in the meaning defined above

Adverb Or Preposition

1523, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-between was in 1523

Rhymes for in-between

See All Rhymes for in-between

Browse Nearby Words

in bed with
in-between
in between
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In-between.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-between. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

in-between

1 of 4 adjective
in-be·​tween
ˌin-bi-ˈtwēn
: intermediate

in-between

2 of 4 noun
: an intermediate term, thing, or class

in between

3 of 4 adverb
: between entry 2
were neither young nor old but fell somewhere in between

in between

4 of 4 preposition
: between entry 1 sense 2
a meadow lies in between the house and the road

More from Merriam-Webster on in-between

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for in-between

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All