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

Espresso is thicker, creamier, and has a velvety mouthfeel that almost borders on syrupy. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025

Many of Corbould’s achievements border on engineering feats. —Udita Jhunjhunwala, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

But when the herds bordered on extinction, Sitting Bull and his followers faced starvation, and were forced to surrender at Fort Buford in 1881, ending his long struggle to maintain his freedom. —Patrick Springer, Twin Cities, 26 Nov. 2025

The 28 villas occupy a quieter section of the estate, bordered on three sides by golf greens. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for border on

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