as in frontier
located at or near a border
a borderline region that is claimed by both countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in almost
very close to but not completely
your answer was borderline rude, so I would advise you to be more diplomatic in the future
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in edge
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
the actual borderline separating the two properties is now being disputed
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 borderline
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2022
Springs’ slider is a viable third offering, a borderline average pitch, but when your top two offerings are doing work, average is just fine.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2019
Both teams came out hitting to start Game 2 and the intensity jumped another level after McNabb’s borderline hit on Kuznetsov.
—Adam Candee, Detroit Free Press, 30 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Adjective
After some highly amusing, borderline classic sketches, this does not quite hold up as much.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2022
Springs’ slider is a viable third offering, a borderline average pitch, but when your top two offerings are doing work, average is just fine.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023
Adverb
Fringe-y/borderline/ticking-time-bomb people are always out there and probably have active imaginations that go way beyond what sometimes pops up in movies.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2019
Both teams came out hitting to start Game 2 and the intensity jumped another level after McNabb’s borderline hit on Kuznetsov.
—Adam Candee, Detroit Free Press, 30 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for borderline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borderline
Adverb
-
Not to mention, the navy and white color combo should match almost any kit.—
Paige Levinson,
SELF,
14 July 2025
-
With a prickly bubble, Fever Tree leapt to the top of our tasters’ lists almost immediately.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
There, leaning against the edge of his desk, dressed in his trademark grey suit, is the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Pearl Cove Beach Club Located at the western edge of Celebration Key, Pearl Cove offers an exclusive experience for an additional cost.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Areas south of Interstate 70 are under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 July 2025
-
There is at least a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms accompanied by hurricane-force winds to impact a widespread portion of the northern Plains on Monday, with the chances of such storms expected to be particularly high for two states.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
Adverb
-
Steve Madden Meadow Flats These adorable gingham ballet flats are practically begging to be worn with a flowy, white sundress.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
28 July 2025
-
Yearly beach trips are practically a prerequisite to being Southern.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
Instead of focusing exclusively on perimeter defense models, organizations must understand the types of PII today's bad actors possess—and use that information against them to build strong and sustainable security postures.—
Damon Fleury,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Firefighters continued to battle the fire on all sides, utilizing heavy equipment in some areas to establish a perimeter on the blaze and extinguish hot spots.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
20 July 2025
Adverb
-
The Great East Japan Earthquake was a six-minute event that killed nearly 20,000 people and shifted the earth on its axis.—
Rebecca Chace
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
-
Kimmel’s tribute to Otto has amassed 255,000 views and nearly 9,000 reactions and comments on Facebook as of July 14.—
Mark Price
Updated July 14,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
When Biden was president, the U.S.-Mexico border was overrun by hundreds of thousands of migrants were crossed illegally.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
-
After Sabraw ruled that such separations of families arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border were unconstitutional, the focus of the litigation turned to reunification.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 July 2025
Adverb
-
With that decided, the opening verse recounted a few regular activities that would seem fairly typical for a good ol’ boy: deer hunting, sports, Fridays at the bar.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
24 July 2025
-
Watching the Dragon Ball franchise in release order is fairly straightforward.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borderline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borderline. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share