borrowed time
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of borrowed time
First recorded in 1895–1900
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But even as it looked as if Section 2 was on borrowed time, the court sent repeated signals that it would, in fact, respect precedent when it came to protections against racial gerrymandering.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
It feels increasingly like the prime minister is on borrowed time.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
Here are the ways I use them most, especially when they’re already open and on borrowed time.
From Salon ● May 5, 2026
The gold-platinum ratio suggests the stock market is living on borrowed time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
She was too old then and living on borrowed time to repeat the miracle of the little candy animals, and none of her descendants had inherited her strength.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
