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

But as the divisive leader hits dead end after dead end trying to move his reform package through Congress, observers question just how long his welcome mat will extend among Argentines hungry for change. —Max Klaver, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2024

Lay out the welcome mat To avoid pest infestations and plant stress, gardeners are watchful for the first sign of pest damage. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2023

But instead of a welcome mat, for more than a decade Fremont has had a controversial law on the books that tries to bar undocumented migrants from living within city limits. —Didi Martinez, NBC News, 23 Mar. 2024

But cities also run the risk of exacerbating tensions by withdrawing the welcome mat. —Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024

If Nimona’s success does tempt Ellison back into filmmaking, agents may not be the ones rolling out the welcome mat. —Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

The only other stadium that is close to the record is another Southern institution, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which has put out the welcome mat six times, per USA Today. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024

In a social media post Tuesday night, Mayor Brandon Scott put out the welcome mat for Taylor Swift, who is expected to attend this weekend’s AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium to cheer on boyfriend and Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce in the matchup against the Ravens. —Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024

The elegant universe of Martha Stewart, however, rolled out a rare welcome mat. —Scottie Andrew, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above