as in subtle
barely perceptible by a sense or by the mind
They studied how the subjects were affected by different sounds played at liminal intensity.
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Recent Examples of liminal
Mostly, Ratner captures his subject walking from liminal place to liminal place in five-inch heels, the camera trailing her like a lap dog.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Both have settings that explore a liminal zone, themes that explore death, grief, loss, regret, so many more connections.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
In the follow-up to his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, Saunders again uses the liminal space between life and death — and a specter nostalgic for life as a guide — to examine grief, guilt, and the expanses and limitations of empathy.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Language, we’re reminded, feels like a liminal space.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Both have settings that explore a liminal zone, themes that explore death, grief, loss, regret, so many more connections.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
In the follow-up to his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, Saunders again uses the liminal space between life and death — and a specter nostalgic for life as a guide — to examine grief, guilt, and the expanses and limitations of empathy.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Language, we’re reminded, feels like a liminal space.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liminal
Adjective
-
The subtle split among Democrats began emerging minutes after the first US strikes on Saturday.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This Madewell pair is made from high-quality denim with a subtle stretch to hug your curves and ensure all-day comfort.—
Jordan Julian,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Only a small, faint population of stars would exist at the center of these galaxies, which could be identifiable through the detection of several globular clusters bound together.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
-
First, the moon enters the faint outer shadow of the Earth, or the penumbra, where dimming is subtle; this is the penumbral eclipse.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
However, sometimes seemingly harmless routine cleaning can pose unseen hazards to our pets’ well-being.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
-
So this podcast is going to be a great place to have these important conversations about the ways that business is changing and these sort of really radical but often kind of unseen ways being pushed by forces on Wall Street, being pushed of course by tech, of course by Washington.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Even the relatively slight role of Elizabeth’s page Tebaldo gets splendid singing from Gretchen Krupp.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Those who ran the Cowtown 5k and 10k Saturday morning had a fabulous forecast, temperatures were in the low 60s with a few clouds in the sky and a slight breeze.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For its latest trick, Taara is now providing high-speed internet access across cities using invisible beams of light.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
28 Feb. 2026
-
What does accountability look like when the biggest financial beneficiaries stay invisible?—
Matt Parr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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