border on
phrasal verb
bordered on; bordering on; borders on
1
: to have a border on (something) : to lie on a boundary of (something)
The area my ancestors come from borders on the Atacama Desert.
2
: 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
Too long to weed through red herrings and convolutions in the mystery that eventually border on irrelevant.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
Fragmented on normal days, the web bordered on anarchic Monday.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The theme of the 97th Academy Awards appeared to be simple colors — including plenty of black, white, silver, and champagne — with the majority of fits bordering on monochrome.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 2 Mar. 2025
My family often jokes that my devotion to Bruce and his music borders on obsession.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for border on
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Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
Fragmented on normal days, the web bordered on anarchic Monday.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The theme of the 97th Academy Awards appeared to be simple colors — including plenty of black, white, silver, and champagne — with the majority of fits bordering on monochrome.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 2 Mar. 2025
My family often jokes that my devotion to Bruce and his music borders on obsession.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for border on
Cite this Entry
“Border on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border%20on. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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