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
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Recent Examples of frontier
Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
State Farm sees good reason to push Jake into new frontiers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
Looking ahead, Anghelina sees decision intelligence as the next frontier for the industry.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
State Farm sees good reason to push Jake into new frontiers.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frontier
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frontier
Adjective
-
The midseason trade felt relatively marginal compared to league-wide blockbusters that shuffled James Harden, Darius Garland and Anthony Davis.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
And that marginal improvement could be the difference between locking in one of today's current mortgage rates or delaying a purchase or refinancing action, perhaps indefinitely.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Areas near the river from just east of O’Hare International Airport north to the Wisconsin border were under a flood warning due to the river’s rising levels, according to the National Weather Service.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The pope is also set to celebrate a Mass for the people of Bamenda, near the western border with Nigeria.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dayao and his pregnant wife, Tiantian, live in the countryside but work themselves to the bone in the city.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But villas aren’t limited to just the European countryside (though, obviously, there’s no shortage of incredible options).—
Angela Tafoya,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Canadian police say Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But neither Iran nor countries acting as intermediaries in the conflict have said Tehran has made such an agreement.—
Melanie Lidman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some of the coolest crappie fishing of the year occurs in backwaters that are easily accessible by foot.—
Cory Schmidt,
Outdoor Life,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Gold transformed Victoria from a pastoral backwater into the most celebrated colony of the empire.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, as soon as Christianity began to spread outside his native land, Christian converts faced new situations in unexpected contexts, completely different from those of their founder, an itinerant Jewish preacher in the sparsely populated hinterlands of rural Galilee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Scattered across the continent were hundreds of towns populated by a few hundred people, and each of these towns had an economic hinterland of perhaps 50 to 100 square miles, with the bulk of all agricultural and household production produced and remaining in that area.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two injured backcountry skiers were rescued over the weekend from Colorado’s mountains in separate incidents, according to sheriff’s officials.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
But in early fall and late spring, the splendor of this backcountry is hardly lessened.—
Brad Japhe,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Smaller bush-type, or determinate, tomatoes can survive without support, but staking can help in the long run.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Berta Lepe, one of Greenhaven's caregivers, found Hernandez under a bush, wearing only a shirt and underwear.—
Jordan Rau,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frontier. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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