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

Robinson stars as Craig Waterman, a regular suburban guy with a boring job, a charming florist wife who's losing interest in him (Kate Mara), and a teenage son (Jack Dylan Grazer) whose indifference borders on hostility. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025

With Lewis’ extensive injury history, their caution borders on overkill for good reason. —Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 May 2025

By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

Pike Abilities Masha clearly has powers of persuasion bordering on the supernatural. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for border on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon