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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The plot, about a former programmer battling an artificial intelligence run amuck in a computer-network realm, was borderline incomprehensible.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 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
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But some people are kind of borderline [bald] already.
—Katherine Schaffstall, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
This season turns Noah into a smarmier, borderline sociopathic character — far more like Joe from Netflix’s You than anybody is likely to want to admit — whose condescension often became insufferable for me.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The plot, about a former programmer battling an artificial intelligence run amuck in a computer-network realm, was borderline incomprehensible.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 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
In the third quarter, Smart borderline tackled Curry from behind while crashing hard for an offensive rebound.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But some people are kind of borderline [bald] already.
—Katherine Schaffstall, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borderline
Adverb
-
Sure, the Hurricanes beat the world when Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson coached there, but that was almost two generations ago.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Larssen told the Ledger-Transcript that for part of the slide, the SUV was almost t-boned until Martin, who drove the vehicle, was able to pull out.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rye whiskey is the drier and spicier cousin of bourbon with an herbaceous edge, an edge which (as with the Sazerac, La Louisiane and others) is given a few dozen exclamation points with a dash of absinthe.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Cake mix, lemon pie filling, and butter come together in the oven to create crisp edges and a gooey, citrusy center, while a little cream cheese in the mix rounds out the lemon’s brightness.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
So there's really no choice but for the four major conference commissioners to compile a set of rules and guidelines that make at least a marginal bit of sense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center has placed much of Missouri, including the Kansas City metro, under a marginal risk of severe weather.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 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
-
Agents reportedly found Wu again, who admitted to taking videos of the B‑2 Spirit aircraft and numerous photographs of the base, including its perimeter fencing, a gate and military equipment.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The New York City Police Department maintained a safety perimeter around the protest to ensure no chaos sparked between the opposing protesters.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Döpfner nearly bought the FT in 2015, before losing it to Nikkei, and took a controlling stake in Business Insider — at the top of the new media market — for $343 million.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
There’s a close call when Dick opens the cargo door and nearly jumps out of the plane, but Leroy stops him just in time.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Born in France but a staple of Moroccan cinema, Laxe has a talent for scaling international borders and belief systems to peer into worlds that feel dangerously tactile and spiritually slippery.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
But the reality for him, fairly or unfairly, is that if some of the habits persist, the smoke may turn to fire as the season progresses.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Still, this technology requires careful attention to bias by ensuring AI agents recognize diverse communication patterns fairly and accurately, rather than embedding harmful assumptions.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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