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
The attorneys consult with counterparts in Haiti, as well as in Canada, where many Haitians have fled, sometimes by walking long distances in freezing temperatures and crossing the northern border on foot.
—
Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
The food is good—often really good—the interiors immaculate, the staff charismatic (to the point of bordering on intimate).
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Add Chelsea into the mix and the tale usually borders on the surreal.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Frankly, her devotion to her own mother bordered on obsessiveness.
—Hope Hunt, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for border on
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Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
The food is good—often really good—the interiors immaculate, the staff charismatic (to the point of bordering on intimate).
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Add Chelsea into the mix and the tale usually borders on the surreal.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Frankly, her devotion to her own mother bordered on obsessiveness.
—Hope Hunt, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026
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 3 Feb. 2026.
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