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
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Recent Examples of borderline
Samantha MacAvoy, Good Housekeeping, 18 Jan. 2023
Four large and filling barbecue pork buns were a borderline preposterous $8.
—oregonlive, 7 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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
But Jimenez’s movies tend to be overtly self-serious — and some would argue, borderline fascistic — leaving little room for humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
These tasty morsels are glazed with a sticky sweet cola- and soy sauce-mixture that packs a borderline obscene amount of garlic (six whole cloves!).
—Samantha MacAvoy, Good Housekeeping, 18 Jan. 2023
Four large and filling barbecue pork buns were a borderline preposterous $8.
—oregonlive, 7 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
Noun
No real effort is made to stop audio bootleggers, and pristine tapes of these shows have emerged, but the video documentation is scattershot and borderline unwatchable since the rule-breakers are often miles from the stage and forced to film at covert angles.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
But Jimenez’s movies tend to be overtly self-serious — and some would argue, borderline fascistic — leaving little room for humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borderline
Adverb
-
Merging with Teck will almost certainly be the master stroke in removing it from any plans by BHP to return with a fresh offer for Anglo American.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Apple has since confirmed that the functionality will come to almost all modern smartwatch models.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
On the other hand, edge computing will gain, too.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Copeland and Summers have each been active as individual recording artists and live performers, beginning even before the group’s official dissolution, but their music has targeted niche audiences, only achieving marginal sales.—
Mike Alleyne,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
At a 12% marginal tax rate, for example, the $6,000 deduction for a single taxpayer who is 65 or older would result in $720 in tax savings.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Back then, Julian said the area was practically devoid of anything regarding the cultural arts.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The building is practically an antique itself, rivaling the town of Belmont, which was established just 20 years before the mall.—
Olivia Lee,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For years, cybersecurity focused on perimeter defenses.—
Max Silber,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The modern smartphone debuted in 2007 -- nearly 20 years ago -- but school cellphone issues were exacerbated over the last few years, according to educators who spoke to ABC News.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
But that defense honestly looks pretty weak in light of the federal government’s contention that Google has a search monopoly, controlling nearly 90% of the market.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Latvian announcement came hours after Poland's Operational Command issued notification on Thursday of the closure of Polish airspace all along the 260-mile border with Belarus.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
In late 2022, a missile struck Polish territory in the village of Przewodów, near the country’s border with Ukraine, killing two people.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
After a fairly quiet opener in Chicago that included a key 2-point conversion reception, Thielen will get to revel in the home crowd.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Boston’s ongoing inability to capitalize on such opportunities ensured fairly uneventful outcomes, though.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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