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
But its depiction of the site of the hotel as a liminal space of corruption and menace suggests that all tourist fantasies are based on the exploitation of others’ histories, lands, labors, and bodies.
—
Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Like being trapped in a fever dream or moving through a liminal space, the stories play with the feeling of wrongness, of things out of place.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 11 June 2025
These are distinctly Japanese anxieties — as is getting trapped in a liminal space that scuppers your punctuality.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Smith is now approximately halfway through her pregnancy and will remain in this liminal space for at least another twelve weeks.
—Brea Baker, Refinery29, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Like being trapped in a fever dream or moving through a liminal space, the stories play with the feeling of wrongness, of things out of place.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 11 June 2025
These are distinctly Japanese anxieties — as is getting trapped in a liminal space that scuppers your punctuality.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Smith is now approximately halfway through her pregnancy and will remain in this liminal space for at least another twelve weeks.
—Brea Baker, Refinery29, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liminal
Adjective
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There's a subtle but powerful form of manipulation happening in AI companions.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The spawn, which typically takes place over a few days and lasts less than 20 minutes, is triggered by subtle environmental cues — moon phase, tides and water temperatures — that healthy reefs once responded to in consistent synchronization.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There have been studies done that show some randomness to red-zone success — or that year-to-year correlation is pretty faint.—
Sam McDowell
August 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Monday's haze, while less dramatic, still obscured visibility and left a faint scent of smoke lingering in the air.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The moon will sweep close to the Pleiades open star cluster in the early morning hours of Aug. 16-17, with the ice giant Uranus lurking unseen nearby.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Previously unseen portraits of Andy Warhol that surfaced from a surprising friendship will be displayed at New York’s Schoelkopf Gallery next month.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Rivera pushed through her routine, adapting to slight errors and fighting for the landing on the dismount.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Sure, there’s a slight flirtation revolving around the ability to talk to horses and a riff about hiding away from potential suitors, but the chemistry sizzles off the screen.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The invisible spray, which covers around 80 to 110 square feet, costs $119 on the Rainworks company website; the stencils range from around $5 to $30.—
Liliana Fannin,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Beyond its visual beauty, the light bridge also provides a valuable probe of dark matter, the invisible substance believed to make up roughly 80% of the universe's mass.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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