as in marginal
located at or near a border
a frontier town with a reputation for vice and lawlessness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of frontier
Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
Today, Folsom is known for its upscale neighborhoods, recreational lake and expansive shopping centers, but echoes from California’s frontier spirit still linger — especially at Matt Garry’s home.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
More recently, in late 2024, Captain Kirk himself — William Shatner — set a course for this final frontier aboard an opulent, state-of-the-art expedition vessel.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frontier
Noun
Enjoy Free Admission To Missions National Historical Park On Veterans Day, enjoy free entry at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the site protecting four of the city’s five original Spanish frontier missions (not including the Alamo).
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
Today, Folsom is known for its upscale neighborhoods, recreational lake and expansive shopping centers, but echoes from California’s frontier spirit still linger — especially at Matt Garry’s home.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
More recently, in late 2024, Captain Kirk himself — William Shatner — set a course for this final frontier aboard an opulent, state-of-the-art expedition vessel.
—Brad Japhe, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2025
Set in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a solitary railroad worker navigating profound personal loss as the American frontier expands around him.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frontier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frontier
Adjective
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Everton have shown marginal improvement in big-chance conversion.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The difference was pretty marginal—most parents, regardless of income level, reported finding parenthood enjoyable all or most of the time—but that one data point got people talking.—
Stephanie H. Murray,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But anyone imagining that this problem will be resolved by taking games beyond international borders is extremely naive.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Walking deeper into a smelly cave along the Albania-Greece border, cavers shined their flashlights along the rock walls and illuminated a massive spider colony.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Virginia‘s countryside is dotted with traditional farmhouses and manors, but one in the foothills of the Southwest Mountains has been given a contemporary twist by a New York architect.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
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The Monster of Florence is a name coined by Mario Spezi, a former crime reporter for Italy's La Nazione, for a serial killer that terrorized the countryside outside Florence, Italy, between 1968 and 1985.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Given the Frenchman’s frightening form — already up to 18 goals for club and country this season — expect to see Mbappe looking to test the millimetric precision of the Barcelona high line once again.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Regional countries have begun to act against the crime flourishing inside Cambodia’s borders that has ensnared their citizens.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Unlike Bacalar, which is relatively new to tourism, Tulum has been transformed from a sleepy backwater into a pumping party town.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But in the post-Grand Slam hinterland, with many top players resting, there are always opportunities for players on the rise.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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But in 2007, Israeli intelligence serendipitously stumbled on evidence of a Syrian nuclear reactor—a miniature replica of North Korea’s Yongbyon facility—that was housed in a nondescript, aboveground complex in the hinterland near the Euphrates River.—
VIPIN NARANG,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Although the tour is only available to advanced and expert skiers, no backcountry experience is required.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
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For dinner, the Inn at Tres Pinos is a friendly roadside stop for eclectic, high-end gastronomy in the backcountry.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Better check behind every bush and tree, because this movie will convince you every sleepy suburb is a slaughterhouse in the making.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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Bush Cucumbers Vining cucumbers are generally too large to easily shield from frost, but bush-type cucumbers can be covered with a large cloche or cardboard box if cold weather is in the forecast.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frontier. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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