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

What happened with this case borders on sort of harassment of a whistleblower — or absolutely retaliation. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The first came in Montenegro, the Adriatic nation bordered on the south by Albania and on the north by Bosnia-Herzegovina. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Unlike other flagship devices that border on enormity, the 11 Pro fits cozily in my palm. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026

The number of satellites, many experts say, is already bordering on unsustainable. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for border on

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