twilight zone
Americannoun
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the lowest level of the ocean that light can reach.
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an ill-defined area between two distinct conditions, categories, etc., usually comprising certain features of both; an indefinite boundary.
a twilight zone between fantasy and reality.
noun
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any indefinite or transitional condition or area
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an area of a city or town, usually surrounding the central business district, where houses have become dilapidated
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the lowest level of the ocean to which light can penetrate
Etymology
Origin of twilight zone
First recorded in 1905–10
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.
And that twilight zone has serious costs—a fact that Thomas ignores but Jackson rightly highlights.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026
"It almost felt like being in the twilight zone," he added.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
They mostly live in the ocean’s twilight zone where light rarely reaches, typically considered 650 to 3,000 feet below the water’s surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
Some companies have proposed releasing this waste within the twilight zone, but the environmental consequences of such practices have remained largely unknown -- until now.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2025
Mr. Dunwoody uses the kiln as a cupboard, and the darkroom’s a twilight zone only Art Club members get to see.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
