border on

phrasal verb

bordered on; bordering on; borders on

: to have a border on (something) : to lie on a boundary of (something)

The area my ancestors come from borders on the Atacama Desert.

: to be very like (something) : to come very close to being (something)

The play's dialog borders on the ridiculous.

an enthusiasm bordering on fanaticism

Examples of border on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not surprisingly, the earliest verdicts were marked by outrage bordering on bile. —

Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024 In a small, windowless room in San Francisco, rows of computers whir with an intensity that borders on a scream. —

Leslie Katz, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Southerners tend to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, especially when that means having an eclectic adventure bordering on the sophisticated. —

Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2024 The question, then, is whether or not this bias constitutes something bordering on a conspiracy where people within newsrooms and production rooms are actively trying to get Kamala Harris elected. —

Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for border on

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'border on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.