welcome mat

noun

: something likened to a mat placed before an entrance as a sign of welcome
put out the welcome mat for foreign investors

Examples of welcome mat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But with welcome mats rolled up, that is no longer an option. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Foreign Affairs, 17 Aug. 2016 But the Empire State is putting out the welcome mat in other, more positive ways. Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2024 The city has been rolling out the welcome mat for weeks, and even the dinosaurs at the Children's Museum are rocking friendship bracelets. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024 In years past, there had been no such welcome mat for Modi in Washington. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for welcome mat 

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of welcome mat was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near welcome mat

Cite this Entry

“Welcome mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welcome%20mat. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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