FRONTIER Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

frontier 1 of 2

noun

ˌfrən-ˈtir

Definition of frontier

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

Relevance

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

frontier

2 of 2

adjective

as in marginal

located at or near a border a frontier town with a reputation for vice and lawlessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Noun

Honda seems to believe its next frontier is building high-tech recreational vehicles. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026 What China could gain from the US is perhaps more experience auditing frontier models. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

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 See All Example Sentences for frontier

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frontier

Noun

The new activity was separate from a border infrastructure project in the nearby Big Bend National Park, where the administration has suspended construction in an attempt to reach out to opponents.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
On a map on the agency’s website where the agency posts updates of wall construction across the entire southern border, a photo showed a crane lifting one of the 30-foot-tall steel wall panels into place while construction workers looked on.

— Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of border

Noun

Although the Nordics fell out of love with the south of Sweden when the Med started attracting the rich and famous in the 1970s, a small but mighty renaissance is taking place on the Swedish countryside and shores.

— Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2026
Though the royal family didn’t post anything on social media, Meghan did—both the aforementioned Instagram Reel and an Instagram Story, which showed a clip of her and Harry taking a countryside drive with Harry in the driver’s seat.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of countryside

Adjective

The number of female CEOs at Fortune 500 Europe companies has also shown a marginal improvement, increasing from 41 last year to 43.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
There is already a feeling among many supporters that the time spent poring over marginal decisions — all those interminable stoppages for calls that are going to cause dissatisfaction, whatever the outcome — is far too much.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of marginal

Noun

That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to prohibit persecution.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Subsequent intermittent attacks between the two countries have coincided with higher domestic gas prices due to disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

— Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of country

Noun

Navigate the biodiverse backwaters of Choctawhatchee Bay or visit Destin, the perfect beach town for kiteboarding and snorkeling.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
No one predicted the sleepy backwater of Sassnitz would be rebranded ‘Crashnitz’ or ‘Smashnitz’ by the end of the first edition of the German Sail Grand Prix last year.

— Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of backwater

Noun

In any event, relocating an entertainment behemoth out of California, to some entertainment hinterland like those states, would be more complicated and certainly costly than staying put.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
At the very least, regionalism marked a spatial recalibration in the literary imaginary, away from European metropoles and national capitals and toward rural hinterlands.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of hinterland

Noun

Each of those carried humans — anglers, wildlife viewers, and adventure seekers — who pay up to $5,000 to sleep in the most remote spot in the Lower 48, a broad swath of Wyoming backcountry called the Thorofare.

— Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Cell service in Yosemite’s backcountry is unreliable; the closest full-service medical care is outside the park.

— The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of backcountry

Browse Nearby Words

fronted

frontier

frontiers

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Style

“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frontier. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of frontier

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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