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
And for young readers today, the appeal can even border on self-empowerment.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
The job of content moderation at Facebook, YouTube, or even X scale is extremely difficult, bordering on impossible.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
His attorneys pointed out that Dassey had a low IQ bordering on intellectual disability, and questioned law enforcement's interrogation tactics — including allowing the teen to be interrogated without a parent or attorney present.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Matisse dressed the part of a British gentleman and gazed at his conversation partners with a serenity that bordered on a trance.
—Christopher C. Gorham
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for border on
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Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
The job of content moderation at Facebook, YouTube, or even X scale is extremely difficult, bordering on impossible.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
His attorneys pointed out that Dassey had a low IQ bordering on intellectual disability, and questioned law enforcement's interrogation tactics — including allowing the teen to be interrogated without a parent or attorney present.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Matisse dressed the part of a British gentleman and gazed at his conversation partners with a serenity that bordered on a trance.
—Christopher C. Gorham
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
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 8 Oct. 2025.
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