welcome mat

noun

: something likened to a mat placed before an entrance as a sign of welcome
put out the welcome mat for foreign investors

Examples of welcome mat 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.
Layer a weatherproof rug beneath a coir welcome mat for texture, and swap in a playful autumn graphic for extra cheer. Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 Continue reading … DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ – Which mayor took away his welcome mat? FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025 After nearly three years together, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have rolled up the welcome mat. Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Sep. 2025 The big bang of buy-to-rent When institutional investors first started buying single-family homes, the U.S. government laid out the welcome mat. Alex Mayyasi, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for welcome mat

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of welcome mat was in 1946

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Welcome mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welcome%20mat. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on welcome mat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!