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

The poor Memphis neighborhoods that abut xAI’s Colossus, currently the largest training cluster in the world, have been the victims of awful increases in pollution, but that is because Elon Musk powered his installation with gargantuan and unpermitted methane-gas turbines. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026

Casa Cañita faces the iconic Ocean Drive, a one-lane road (plus a dedicated bike lane) that abuts the beach. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026

Nelligan contacted neighboring homeowner Marcia Papich, whose fence abuts Susan Flores’ backyard. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

The estate abuts Lake Washington and features 310 feet of private shoreline. —Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 2 May 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