border on

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

Millet and Twain share a distaste for authority figures and social niceties, a suspicion of organized religion and a wild sense of adventure that can border on science fiction. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026

Everette has a knack for scoring important touchdowns, and when’s facing circumstances that qualify as either make or break, his exact mindset borders on being unstoppable. — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Scottie’s punishing, smothering treatment of Judy, who bears much more than a passing resemblance to Madeleine, borders on truly terrifying to many women watching the film. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

While near Saks Fifth Avenue, the detective came upon a silver Chevy Silverado 1500 with no license plate and a Bomnin Chevrolet license plate border on the back. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for border on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon