1
: an outer part or edge
at the borders of the forest
2
textiles
: an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug
3
: a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a lawn or walkway
a border of tulips
4
: boundary
on the border between New York and Canada
crossed the border into Italy
5
: a plain or decorative margin around printed matter
wedding invitations with a delicate gold leaf border
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯr-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to put a border on
a rug bordered with a pattern of leaves
bordered the garden with pansies
2
: to touch at the edge or boundary : bound
borders the city on the south
Slovakia borders Poland.
1
: to lie on the border
the U.S. borders on Canada
2
: to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge
borders on the ridiculous
Synonyms
Examples of border in a Sentence
Noun
He grew up in Malaysia, near the Indonesian border.
They live just beyond the western border of the park.
the border of the Sahara
The quilt is quite plain except for its colorful border.
a broad red border on each plate
He planted pansies in the border.
Verb
Their property borders the park.
Tall trees border the avenue.
Two rivers border the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
His journey from America's heartland to life in a volatile border town started in 2012 with his rise to prominence as a gun expert and cartel go-to guy.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Along the Texas-Mexico border, the use of state troops expands beyond Eagle Pass.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told CBS News in an interview last month that his country was not prepared for a summer offensive by Russia and that the Russian military might reopen a northern front in the war with a ground attack into the Sumy region, which shares a border with Russia.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Republicans across the country have sought to draw attention to the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
During Abbott's tenure, Texas has mounted the most aggressive state effort in modern history to challenge the federal government's long-standing power to set border and immigration policy.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
The United States and Israel have divergent visions for the future of the region, Israel’s identity and borders, and U.S. strategic interests.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Wilson campaigned against the state’s taxes and regulations and didn’t mind if word spread beyond California’s borders.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The Israeli government has received criticism from several countries regarding the possibility of an offensive in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza that borders Egypt.
—Jianna Cousin, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024
Bywater: Boho-chic New Orleans neighborhood, Bywater, sits on the Mississippi River, bordering the Marigny.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
In the Gulf of Mexico, which borders Cameron, waters are warming twice as fast as in the global ocean.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
The school, which has eight acres of property bordering Rock Creek Park, can serve up to 1,000 campers each summer and usually has a wait list.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
The site would be bordered by Goodyear just to the east.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
The motherboard tray is bordered with cutaway areas that support MicroATX boards with rear-facing connectors, along with a few extra cable-passage holes for those that don’t.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere in the Middle East, the LAPD has its partnership with the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, a tiny oil-rich nation bordering Saudi Arabia.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
Follow Election 2024 Officials say there also is a lack of clarity about how quickly Israel may follow through on its promise, announced Thursday under pressure from the Biden administration, to open an Israeli port and an additional border crossing to northern Gaza so more aid can get in.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
His journey from America's heartland to life in a volatile border town started in 2012 with his rise to prominence as a gun expert and cartel go-to guy.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Along the Texas-Mexico border, the use of state troops expands beyond Eagle Pass.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told CBS News in an interview last month that his country was not prepared for a summer offensive by Russia and that the Russian military might reopen a northern front in the war with a ground attack into the Sumy region, which shares a border with Russia.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Republicans across the country have sought to draw attention to the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
During Abbott's tenure, Texas has mounted the most aggressive state effort in modern history to challenge the federal government's long-standing power to set border and immigration policy.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
The United States and Israel have divergent visions for the future of the region, Israel’s identity and borders, and U.S. strategic interests.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Wilson campaigned against the state’s taxes and regulations and didn’t mind if word spread beyond California’s borders.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
This province is about 300 miles southwest of Bangkok and on the Kra Isthmus, a narrow stretch of land that borders Malaysia.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The Israeli government has received criticism from several countries regarding the possibility of an offensive in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza that borders Egypt.
—Jianna Cousin, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024
Bywater: Boho-chic New Orleans neighborhood, Bywater, sits on the Mississippi River, bordering the Marigny.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
In the Gulf of Mexico, which borders Cameron, waters are warming twice as fast as in the global ocean.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
The school, which has eight acres of property bordering Rock Creek Park, can serve up to 1,000 campers each summer and usually has a wait list.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
The site would be bordered by Goodyear just to the east.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
The motherboard tray is bordered with cutaway areas that support MicroATX boards with rear-facing connectors, along with a few extra cable-passage holes for those that don’t.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere in the Middle East, the LAPD has its partnership with the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, a tiny oil-rich nation bordering Saudi Arabia.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'border.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near border
Cite this Entry
“Border.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
border
2 of 2 verb
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to put a border on
border the garden with flowers
2
: to be located close or next to
the U.S. borders on Canada
3
: to come very close to being : verge
that remark borders on the ridiculous
Medical Definition
border
noun
bor·der
ˈbȯrd-ər
: an outer part or edge see brush border
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