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
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
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Revenue for Goto’s financial services unit almost doubled last year, reaching 3.7 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($230 million).—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
22 June 2025
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Weirdly enough, this was one of the first things that popped into my mind after seeing Celine Song's Materialists, a movie that, in almost every way, couldn't be further from Showgirls.—
Aisha Harris,
NPR,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Like Squid Game, The Prisoner beguiles the viewer by turning traditional symbols of familiar, homegrown calm (in this case, an idyllic seaside town) into disorientating weapons that keep the characters on a knife's edge.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
27 June 2025
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Cook, undisturbed, until pancake edges are dry and bubbles begin to form on surface, about 3 minutes.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Through careful site selection, canopy management, and refined winemaking techniques, growers have learned how to coax more complexity and ripeness from this variety, even in England’s marginal climate.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Tecmo Bowl Photo: Courtesy of Nintendo Before Madden, and EA, and a never-ending pipeline of football simulators with marginal iterations around the edges, there was only Tecmo Bowl.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Adverb
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But now, with not just musicians but the wider world worried about recession (or worse?), these Depression anthems felt practically ripe on the vine.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
22 June 2025
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In one study, drivers of expensive cars practically aimed at pedestrians.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Those are 3-point shooting, second-unit scoring and perimeter defense.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
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Oftentimes, planting a perimeter screen cover enhances that feeling of safety.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
26 June 2025
Adverb
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Sadly, that night will feature a bright sky bleached by a nearly full moon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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At more than 400 total feet in height, Starship towers over SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active – which stands at nearly 230 feet.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Advertisement When the sirens first went off in towns and cities across the country very early Friday morning, many people stayed in bed, knowing that earlier campaigns had wiped out the rocket capabilities of Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Israel's western flank, and Hezbollah, on its northern border.—
Orly Halpern,
Time,
18 June 2025
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And while Americana references are infused throughout, Hilfiger believes its appeal goes beyond U.S. borders.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
Adverb
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This is pretty extraordinary, because detections like this beyond the Milky Way and its immediate neighbors are fairly rare.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2025
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Further, how can other charities fairly compete for donors or grants against inside players like Hope Florida?—
Glen Casel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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