borrowed time
noun
: an uncertain and usually uncontrolled postponement of something inevitable and unwanted
—usually used with on or living on
… many fans and analysts believed Philadelphia's head coach was on borrowed time.—
Nick Faria
Nick FariaExamples of borrowed time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, with Trump, one thing is certain: stability is borrowed time.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Even borrowed time leaves questions about how Bed Bath & Beyond might ascertain a strategy to turn its core business around.
—Lauren Hirsch, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
What Ratcliffe, and other white gays like him, fail to realize is that assimilation is not acceptance; it is merely borrowed time.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 13 Apr. 2021
The outdoor shows have not been particularly well-attended, and Gas Monkey Bar may be on borrowed time.
—Jeremy Hallock, Dallas News, 26 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for borrowed time
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Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Even borrowed time leaves questions about how Bed Bath & Beyond might ascertain a strategy to turn its core business around.
—Lauren Hirsch, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023
What Ratcliffe, and other white gays like him, fail to realize is that assimilation is not acceptance; it is merely borrowed time.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 13 Apr. 2021
The outdoor shows have not been particularly well-attended, and Gas Monkey Bar may be on borrowed time.
—Jeremy Hallock, Dallas News, 26 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for borrowed time
Cite this Entry
“Borrowed time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borrowed%20time. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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