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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on his first day back in office. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 Another constraint borders on data quality. Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 And yes, Travis Hunter’s two-way potential borders on the unbelievable. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025 Through countless binges and marathons, the NBC sitcom has built up a fan devotion that borders on religious. Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 3 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 15 Sep. 2025.

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