abut

verb

ə-ˈbət 

abutted; abutting

transitive verb

1

: to border on : to touch along an edge

Their property abuts our land.

2

: to cause to touch or lean for support

abut a timber against a post

intransitive verb

1

: to touch along a border or with a projecting part

a parcel of land that abuts on the road

2

a

: to terminate at a point of contact

b

: to lean for support

Synonyms of abut

• adjoin
• join
• touch
• surround
• flank
• neighbor

Examples of abut in a Sentence

Their property and our property abut.

our land abuts a nature preserve, so we see a lot of wildlife

Recent Examples on the Web

Further east, in the coastal province of Rayong abutting a major industrial belt, authorities ordered evacuations on Monday after flood waters swelled two reservoirs beyond their capacity. — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Let the explosion of vintage typewriters suspended from the giant wall abutting the check-in desk be your first clue as to what this contemporary but cosseting boutique property is all about. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2026

To squeeze in more disks, consider that a circle can have as many as six other equal-sized circles simultaneously abutting it. — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

The second phase was not detailed in the filing but is slated to abut Highland Park Lane. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abutten, borrowed from Anglo-French abuter, from a-, verb-forming prefix (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + bout, but "push, thrust, blow, end, extremity," noun derivative from bouter, boter "to push, thrust, strike" — more at butt entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for abut

• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut
• recut

Kids Definition

abut

verb

ə-ˈbət 

abutted; abutting

: to touch along a border or with a part that sticks out

abutter noun

Legal Definition

abut

verb

ə-ˈbət 

abutted; abutting

intransitive verb

: to touch along a border or with a projecting part

—used with on, upon, or against

the land abuts on the road

transitive verb

: to border on : reach or touch with an end

two lots that abut each other