borrowed time

noun

: an uncertain and usually uncontrolled postponement of something inevitable
used with living on

Examples of borrowed time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Even borrowed time leaves questions about how Bed Bath & Beyond might ascertain a strategy to turn its core business around. Lauren Hirsch, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2023 What Ratcliffe, and other white gays like him, fail to realize is that assimilation is not acceptance; it is merely borrowed time. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 13 Apr. 2021 The outdoor shows have not been particularly well-attended, and Gas Monkey Bar may be on borrowed time. Jeremy Hallock, Dallas News, 26 May 2020 Even before the pandemic struck the acceleration of cord cutting has fueled questions about whether or not the traditional TV business is essentially living on borrowed time. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 May 2020 See all Example Sentences for borrowed time 

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of borrowed time was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near borrowed time

Cite this Entry

“Borrowed time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borrowed%20time. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!