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
Etiido Uko
march 23, New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026
Boasting panoramic views of the water, beachfront dining, and a spa so relaxing as to be borderline lobotomizing, the hotel offers a stock photo of a vacation.
—Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Reed figures to have positioned himself as a borderline first-round pick in the June draft.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
Harnessing the strange behavior of particles at the tiniest scales, quantum technologies are enabling applications that are borderline science fiction across various industries.
—Etiido Uko
march 23, New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026
Boasting panoramic views of the water, beachfront dining, and a spa so relaxing as to be borderline lobotomizing, the hotel offers a stock photo of a vacation.
—Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Sylvie, a borderline recluse, has been watching her neighbors through a telescope and using them as inspiration for her writing, work that’s rendered in vivid detail onscreen.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Reed figures to have positioned himself as a borderline first-round pick in the June draft.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 14 May 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
-
Canfield, as proven by her work in Stereophonic, is extremely able at playing a character with a pristine, almost porcelain surface and roiling depths.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
-
More than 160 million people around the world played some form of golf in 2025, marking an almost 50% rise from 2023.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The union has argued that the language — coupled with an arbitration provision — will limit the use of AI replicas to a handful of edge cases.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
5 June 2026
-
As the resort’s premium hotel-within-a-hotel experience, Hōkūpa‘a Tower guests will not only find larger indoor and outdoor room layouts, but will also gain access to The Lānai, a private lounge-style space with complimentary food and drinks, a private bar, and infinity-edge cocktail pools.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Arsenal are the kings of marginal games, beating their opponents with physicality, pressing and defensive possession.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Weather models show an isolated strong to severe storm is possible Saturday with hail and strong winds, but the chances are marginal, the Storm Prediction Center shows.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
After a pair of curveballs missed up in the zone, Rathbun laced a fastball that practically dented the right field wall.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
That level of dominance in both chances and results is practically unprecedented in the analytics era.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Cameras, livestreams and video recordings are also banned from inside the courtroom, and demonstrators must stay outside of a specific perimeter surrounding the courthouse.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Derek Dixon was an important pickup to give Arizona some perimeter shooting.—
CJ Moore
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adverb
-
The White House has asked for nearly $2 billion in next year’s budget for R&D and advance procurement of the Defiant class.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
At its height nearly 20 years ago, India’s leader described the Maoists as the country’s biggest internal security threat, a blight on its status as the world’s largest democracy and its aspirations of becoming a global power.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The forces operated out of several locations in southern Azerbaijan, two of the sources said, adjacent to Iran’s northern border and, at its closest point, only about 60 miles from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which Israel struck during the war.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
Black-and-white Tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) Iguazu Falls, the waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the Brazil-Argentina border.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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