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.
Logic would say that Nancy is already on borrowed time, but logic doesn't seem to be pervasive at the club at the moment.
From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025
The announcement is another acknowledgment that pay TV subscription revenue is living on borrowed time, as consumers move away from cable and satellite video providers to streaming services.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2025
As a younger generation of sports fans increasingly turned to YouTube and other online sources for game highlights, ESPN’s “SportsCenter” appeared to be on borrowed time in 2015.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2024
Ada Lovelace Day – a global annual celebration of women working in Stem – is on borrowed time.
From BBC • Sep. 15, 2024
We are living on borrowed time, because at any moment, one of the Nazis is going to hear something.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
