Borderline

Latest answer — May 16, 2026

33 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, May 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Modern "go-to's"
  2. 5Curtain for silhouetting on stage
  3. 10Bird on the South Carolina state quarter
  4. 14Capote or chesterfield
  5. 15Emulates E.T., in a way
  6. 17Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot
  7. 18Precious self-reference
  8. 19Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024)
  9. 21Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia)
  10. 22Matches with forensics
  11. 24Occasions to relax and recharge
  12. 25Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15)
  13. 26Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card
  14. 27Aid in making salsa
  15. 28Operculum, e.g.
  16. 31Capital of Greenland
  17. 32They're hard to pull off
  18. 33Spa service, in brief
  19. 34Up to snuff, facetiously
  20. 35Trickles
  21. 36Cup holders
  22. 37Many a Porsche 911
  23. 38Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said
  24. 39Don't start with me!
  25. 43Difficult effort
  26. 44Cut out
  27. 46Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"
  28. 48Cold-smoked lox
  29. 497 up, perhaps
  30. 50Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland
  31. 51Vanilla units
  32. 52Spouts
  33. 53Romp

Down

  1. 1Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" -- and in real life
  2. 2Cattle call
  3. 3Went wide or long, as a tennis ball
  4. 4"No closer!"
  5. 5Takes off
  6. 6Wind pipe?
  7. 7Blight
  8. 8Getting a break on Broadway?
  9. 9Medleys
  10. 10Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever"
  11. 11Triumphs smoothly
  12. 12___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist)
  13. 13"What this country ___ ..."
  14. 16Certain volleyballer
  15. 20Deck
  16. 23Once-popular terra-cotta figurine
  17. 24Trigger hair
  18. 27State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians
  19. 28Combo meal upgrade
  20. 29Going back ages
  21. 30___ track
  22. 32Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef?
  23. 33Borderline
  24. 35Echolocation systems
  25. 36Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table
  26. 37Spelling combinations?
  27. 38They're concerned with feeding kits
  28. 39Pharyngeal woe
  29. 40Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple"
  30. 41Buckled
  31. 42Extend, in a way
  32. 45Chilly and damp
  33. 47"___ noticed"

The answer to “Borderline” in the New York Times crossword is MARGINAL — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 16, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 33-Down. Other answers we've seen for this clue include VERGE. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Borderline” answer

MARGINAL (8 letters) — most recent; also seen as VERGE

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is MARGINAL.

Why the answer is MARGINAL

MARGINAL is the 8-letter solution that fits "Borderline" in the NYT Crossword crossword on May 16, 2026 (33-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does MARGINAL mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of MARGINAL is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(adjective)

  • relating to or at the edge or margin
  • minor and not important; not central
  • (of a decision or distinction) very narrow; borderline

Other answers for “Borderline”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides MARGINAL, it has also been VERGE. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

  • May 16, 2026 (most recent) → MARGINAL
  • May 18, 2025 → VERGE

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Borderline”?

The answer is MARGINAL, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on May 16, 2026. Other answers for this clue include VERGE.

How many letters is the answer to “Borderline”?

8 letters: MARGINAL. Earlier fills for this clue have also been VERGE (5).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on May 16, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 33-Down. Earlier appearances: May 18, 2025 → VERGE.

Can “Borderline” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides MARGINAL, New York Times has also used VERGE for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for May 16, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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