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half the battle

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half the battle

Fig. a significant part of an effort. Getting through traffic to the airport was half the battle. The flight was nothing at all.

See also: battle, half

half the battle

a part of the effort or work needed With so many search engines on the Web, deciding which is the best one is half the battle. Half the battle was simply convincing my mother that she couldn't be alone any more.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form half the battle is won: If you know where to look for the information, half the battle is won.

See also: battle, half

half the battle

A successful beginning, as in You've got the shopping list done-that's half the battle. This expression is an abbreviation of an 18th-century proverb, "The first blow is half the battle."

See also: battle, half