1
: an outer part or edge
at the borders of the forest
2
textiles
: an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug
3
: a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a lawn or walkway
a border of tulips
4
: boundary
on the border between New York and Canada
crossed the border into Italy
5
: a plain or decorative margin around printed matter
wedding invitations with a delicate gold leaf border
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯr-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to put a border on
a rug bordered with a pattern of leaves
bordered the garden with pansies
2
: to touch at the edge or boundary : bound
borders the city on the south
Slovakia borders Poland.
1
: to lie on the border
the U.S. borders on Canada
2
: to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge
borders on the ridiculous
Synonyms
Examples of border in a Sentence
Noun
He grew up in Malaysia, near the Indonesian border.
They live just beyond the western border of the park.
the border of the Sahara
The quilt is quite plain except for its colorful border.
a broad red border on each plate
He planted pansies in the border.
Verb
Their property borders the park.
Tall trees border the avenue.
Two rivers border the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
The cartel, which is run by a kingpin called El Padre, operates near the California/Mexico border, so between that and the private aircraft tracks in the field nearby, the working theory is that Torres is on his way to the West Coast.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Jim Dobson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The tribe, whose lands border the monument and whose members live in nearby Havasu Canyon, has long been concerned about possible radioactive leakage into the sole water supply as well as possible contamination of two sacred sites just a few miles from the mine.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for border 
Noun
That’s why counties like Los Angeles have kept up vigilant monitoring and fly-murdering programs, sometimes with new tools, to protect the state’s agricultural cordon sanitaire from Napa and Sonoma to the Mexican border.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
The cartel, which is run by a kingpin called El Padre, operates near the California/Mexico border, so between that and the private aircraft tracks in the field nearby, the working theory is that Torres is on his way to the West Coast.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Each gilded panel is crowned by a Greek-style frieze and bordered by chiseled Baroque moldings, reflecting the rich blend of artistic influences in Spain at the time.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The tribe, whose lands border the monument and whose members live in nearby Havasu Canyon, has long been concerned about possible radioactive leakage into the sole water supply as well as possible contamination of two sacred sites just a few miles from the mine.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for border
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'border.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near border
Cite this Entry
“Border.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
border
2 of 2 verb
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to put a border on
border the garden with flowers
2
: to be located close or next to
the U.S. borders on Canada
3
: to come very close to being : verge
that remark borders on the ridiculous
Medical Definition
border
noun
bor·der
ˈbȯrd-ər
: an outer part or edge see brush border
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