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

What behaves politely in one climate or situation can become problematic in another, such as a garden abutting an open landscape. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026

Late last month, Fee traveled to California to meet with Horning, alongside Marti Prohaska, who at the time was the mayor of Mountain Village, which abuts Telluride. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026

Behind Huffman was a muddy creek bordered by an earthen levee that abutted the backyards of dozens of homes on Vendola Drive. —Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026

Completed in 2020, the green, family-friendly area abuts The Barrel Room’s roll-up door entrance. —Brandon Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025

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