frontier 1 of 2

Definition of frontiernext
as in marginal
located at or near a border a frontier town with a reputation for vice and lawlessness

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frontier

2 of 2

noun

1
as in border
a region along the dividing line between two countries the Apaches were once feared on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico frontier

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2
as in countryside
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country Alaska has been called America's last frontier

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frontier
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
Noun
Never before has the US government taken such sweeping measures to rein in foreign access to frontier AI models developed by an American company. Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026 The executive order directs various high-ranking government officials to develop and maintain a classified process for assessing whether new AI programs should be designated as frontier models, also called foundation models. Anjana Susarla, The Conversation, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for frontier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frontier
Adjective
  • That’s what makes both marginal figures like Ormond and fundamental ones like the two antiheroines so important.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 15 June 2026
  • And that could subsequently lead to a marginal reduction in mortgage interest rates.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • Another tornado observed in north-central Missouri The National Weather Service reported another tornado in north-central Missouri, near Interstate 35 and the Iowa border.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
  • Plant it as a border or ground cover along with your cabbage, tomatoes, and carrots.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • Learn how to make real Italian food, by a real Italian chef, in the Italian countryside.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
  • For her part, Gianina is just trying to stow away enough earnings to support her daughter, Maria (Sofia Dragoman), who lives with her grandmother (Liliana Ghita) in a grimly anonymous village in the countryside, and to save for an anticipated Christmas reunion in Romania.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • The first World Cup match on American soil in more than a generation and the start of a tournament that has the potential to alter the direction of soccer in this country for the next generation.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
  • Sebastien Bozon | Afp | Getty Images Switzerland, a wealthy country that has historically embraced free movement and foreign investment, is about to vote on whether to cap its population — and restrict immigration measures to do so.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • The movie goes from this weird, seedy love motel to the industrial backwaters, and these long walks and talks down empty streets.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
  • Even the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence boom were laid by the NSF in the 1980s and 1990s, when neural networks were a backwater dismissed by mainstream computer science.
    Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • The menu is top-tier and uses as much local produce from the ocean and nearby hinterland as possible.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • The film eliminated even a gesture toward a plot while showing solitary nonprofessional and real-life ranch-hand Misael Saavedra chopping and hauling logs in the Argentinian hinterlands (in actuality, Alonso’s family’s ranch).
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026
Noun
  • Vermont’s black bears now run well above the state’s management target, and the crowds in the backcountry keep growing.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • The tests were conducted 26 years after the remains were first discovered in a sleeping bag in the backcountry of Washington state's Olympic National Park.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • There’s a mahogany bar overlooking the open bush, outdoor canvas baths and a sense of old-world glamour that feels like it might have been lifted straight from a Hollywood movie.
    Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Friday by university staff in some bushes inside of the West Circle near Oxford Street.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frontier. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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