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
Her spring 2026 runway show, held at One Hanson Place in Brooklyn, cemented her ability to bridge the liminal space between past and present.
—
Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026
Poem 1 carries forth Roxanne’s touchstones—choral music, new age, dream pop—into a liminal space that’s half-lieder, half-Grouper.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
The production design by Annie Beauchamp (Top of the Lake, On Becoming a God in Central Florida) is both recognizably grounded and subtly weird, and the camerawork of Lol Crawley (The Brutalist) is attuned to the liminal disconnect as well as the saturated palette.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
From that liminal moment emerged Mohammad Khatami, a former culture minister steeped in philosophy and theology, and a committed reformist.
—Alex Shams, Time, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026
Poem 1 carries forth Roxanne’s touchstones—choral music, new age, dream pop—into a liminal space that’s half-lieder, half-Grouper.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
The production design by Annie Beauchamp (Top of the Lake, On Becoming a God in Central Florida) is both recognizably grounded and subtly weird, and the camerawork of Lol Crawley (The Brutalist) is attuned to the liminal disconnect as well as the saturated palette.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
From that liminal moment emerged Mohammad Khatami, a former culture minister steeped in philosophy and theology, and a committed reformist.
—Alex Shams, Time, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liminal
Adjective
-
Throughout her trip to the United States, the Queen has reliably chosen British designers in a subtle showing of sartorial support of her homeland.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Such subtle tweaks in rhythm and resolution are more subtle, and more rewarding, than a straightforward joke-and-punchline setup.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The book portrays the city as a liminal metropolis where the line demarcating business and crime has been worn faint by heavy footfall from both directions.—
Mark O’Connell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That's a whopping 500-meter--wide (1,640-foot) dish, ideal for picking up faint signals from far away.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This transit is shedding light on surface-level power and the unseen social currents secretly dictating your life.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Then just two weeks later, her father died by suicide after a long, largely unseen struggle with alcoholism and depression.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Therefore, the researchers now plan to improve detection efficiency and push sensitivity even further, with the hope of identifying other ultra-rare isotopes that have so far remained invisible.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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