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
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams is a borderline generational player and right tackle Colton McKivitz has been terrific this year.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 18 Nov. 2025
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
Greta Cross, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
One charge lasts a staggering 12 weeks, which feels borderline magical.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
Although the Texans and Steelers have had inconsistent offenses this season, playing that well on defense and putting up the stats the Bills have over that stretch has been borderline dominant.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams is a borderline generational player and right tackle Colton McKivitz has been terrific this year.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 18 Nov. 2025
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
Around 2020, Franke began to receive widespread criticism for her parenting choices, particularly her discipline methods that many viewers considered borderline abusive.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
One charge lasts a staggering 12 weeks, which feels borderline magical.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borderline
Adjective
-
That worried Huang, who fears a Chinese rival, and White House officials, who believe Chinese dependence on non-frontier American chips is the best way to ensure a lead in AI.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
ServiceNow lost almost 10% and Datadog was down nearly 9% amid fears that AI could take away more of their business .—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The silk mousseline garments floated almost like ghosts or memories of Chanel designs past, including the famous skirt suit with its matching cardigan and Karl Lagerfeld modernisms like jeans with a tweed jacket, plus the iconic flap bag.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Having explored the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest, and the edge of space, Victor Vescovo knows what awe feels like in its most dramatic forms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In short, the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war are a weird laboratory for modern warfare, which, against all odds, has given Ukraine a considerable tactical edge over its much larger adversary.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For example, key product categories have generally performed positively, with the key exception of spirits which posted a marginal decline.—
Kevin Rozario,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
At this stage of their careers, their improvements are likely going to be marginal, yet could still bring massive reward.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Throughout the long journey, South Park has created diehard fans who have practically memorized the entire run of the series.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Years of posting videos and photos of my kitchen projects have created this reflexive doppelgänger, someone practically unable to cook without the observing eye of an audience.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drugs, weapons, and cell phones enter facilities through drones, perimeter breaches, staff misconduct, and inadequate search procedures.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Podziemski wasn’t the only perimeter player asked to do more than usual.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The brainchild of Chris Roberts, the mind behind Wing Commander and Freelancer, Star Citizen is probably the most ambitious ongoing project in video games, having raised nearly one billion dollars in funding as of this writing.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The drastic decision to consume bleach to try to circumvent a drug test nearly cut Mathieu's life short.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Trump this week deployed border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota after this month’s fatal shootings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, undermining Noem’s leadership of her department.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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