ENGLISH
REFERENCE

twilight zone

idiom
Meaning

To put or place into an indeterminate position; to be in an ambiguous, undetermined, or improper context.


Origin

disputed origin

Because such a zone (in the literal sense of the term) is twilit; see twilight § Etymology.

Examples
SIMPLE

My application is in the twilight zone between accepted and rejected.

CONTEXTUAL

The project is currently in the twilight zone, as we are waiting for the manager to decide if we should continue or cancel it.

COMPLEX

Caught in the twilight zone of bureaucratic uncertainty, the proposal remained neither officially approved nor formally denied for several months.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    comfort zone

    The range of circumstances in which a person feels relaxed or able to cope.

  2. 02

    flood the zone

    To fill a relevant region of the field of play.

  3. 03

    twilight industry

    An industry that is fading away, perhaps because replaced by newer technology, or facing a lack of critical resources or a lack of consumer interest.

  4. 04

    twilight years

    Old age.

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