as in frontier
located at or near a border
a borderline region that is claimed by both countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in almost
very close to but not completely
your answer was borderline rude, so I would advise you to be more diplomatic in the future
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in edge
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
the actual borderline separating the two properties is now being disputed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of borderline
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2022
Springs’ slider is a viable third offering, a borderline average pitch, but when your top two offerings are doing work, average is just fine.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2019
Both teams came out hitting to start Game 2 and the intensity jumped another level after McNabb’s borderline hit on Kuznetsov.
—Adam Candee, Detroit Free Press, 30 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
After some highly amusing, borderline classic sketches, this does not quite hold up as much.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2022
Springs’ slider is a viable third offering, a borderline average pitch, but when your top two offerings are doing work, average is just fine.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
Adverb
Fringe-y/borderline/ticking-time-bomb people are always out there and probably have active imaginations that go way beyond what sometimes pops up in movies.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2019
Both teams came out hitting to start Game 2 and the intensity jumped another level after McNabb’s borderline hit on Kuznetsov.
—Adam Candee, Detroit Free Press, 30 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borderline
Adverb
-
When a tariff bill for almost $11,000 arrived without warning, Robert Keeley reached for one of his last financial lifelines and cashed in 1.83 million American Express reward points to pay it.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
-
In Los Angeles, where ICE raids recently sparked large demonstrations, and in the New York City area, almost 60% of those arrested by ICE in the first ten days of June had no criminal convictions nor any pending criminal charges, according to the data.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The tiles are made from non-toxic, BPA-free plastic with smooth, rounded edges.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
9 July 2025
-
At the far edge of the American west, a brash adolescent came of age in a coastal community where the establishment prided itself on being antiestablishment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
An additional $30,000 in deductions could amount to about $10,500 in annual tax savings for homeowners in these states and metros, assuming a 35 percent federal marginal tax rate, Realtor.com calculated.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
-
Confidence decays when the marginal unit of debt fails to buy a commensurate increase in productive capacity.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adverb
-
Thought and action are practically one and the same: Hungry!—
Mari Andrew,
Time,
1 July 2025
-
All that effort has put more than 1.3 million asteroids in our catalogs, but astronomers expect Rubin to identify perhaps three times that many new objects—practically without trying.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Those are 3-point shooting, second-unit scoring and perimeter defense.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
-
According to Caine, officials quickly evacuated the base in part of extend the security perimeter, leaving behind two Patriot missile batteries and some 44 soldiers.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
26 June 2025
Adverb
-
The 30-month-long case, which thrust Idaho into the national spotlight, spanned several states as investigators searched for a suspect for nearly seven weeks.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
1 July 2025
-
Aldean has racked up 30 No. 1 country radio hits across his career, along with over 20 million albums sold and nearly 20 billion global streams.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The current threat represents the parasite's northward march through Central America over two years, reaching Mexico in November 2024 and spreading to within 700 miles of the U.S. border.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Around the world, countries are confronting the issue of tech companies earning massive profits from users within their borders, without establishing a legal or taxable presence.—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adverb
-
The future of collaboration is not man versus machine, but man with machine—in an open, visible process where every contributor can see, learn from, and be fairly assessed for their effort.—
David Ferrucci,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
-
The Bulls will want to negotiate this number down — which is more easily accomplished by compromising on a longer contract — but their commitment to the guard has been fairly clear in the build-up to these negotiations.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share