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
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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
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Of course, the public fascination (and borderline obsession) for a beloved style icon is something that Pidgeon knows all too well.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Lanning has been a borderline disaster in the CFP, getting squashed by Ohio State in 2024 and mauled by Indiana in 2025 (after dominating Texas Tech).
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Of course, the public fascination (and borderline obsession) for a beloved style icon is something that Pidgeon knows all too well.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
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
-
But a morning run along the Riverwalk below is regenerating, even in winter, and almost anything located in the Loop is walking-distance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The education begins almost immediately.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Landscape architect Rick Parisi also presented mock-ups showing the foliage that will accent the ballroom grounds and the relocation of a fountain on the east edge of the White House campus.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Langford took the same approach Sunday and said that the differences between left and center are only marginal.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The Storm Prediction Center has issued a marginal risk, level 1 out of 5, for the threat of severe weather.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Minnie is practically invisible to most of the students at North Little Rock High School, which is what makes her friendship with Callie — the most popular girl in her class — so special.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
AirEssentials Half Zip The AirEssentials line was practically made for Southern springs.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No one else on the Braves consistently found scoring opportunities, and perimeter shots were hard to come by for his teammates.—
Dan Rios,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Despite setting up a perimeter and using all available resources, including air assets, drones and K-9 units, the suspect was not initially located.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Spanning nearly a quarter of the lunar surface, the crater, which sits on the far side of the moon, is the largest with a diameter measuring roughly 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers).—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The team led by Paola Tiranti observed Uranus for nearly a full rotation, detecting the faint glow from molecules up to 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometres) above the cloud tops.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Norway and Sweden border each other for more than 1,000 miles, together forming the Scandinavian peninsula.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Printed on one of the sheets was his A-number, short for alien registration number—a unique numerical code assigned to non-citizen immigrants, including undocumented border crossers and green-card holders.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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