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 But cities also run the risk of exacerbating tensions by withdrawing the welcome mat. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 If Nimona’s success does tempt Ellison back into filmmaking, agents may not be the ones rolling out the welcome mat. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The only other stadium that is close to the record is another Southern institution, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which has put out the welcome mat six times, per USA Today. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024 In a social media post Tuesday night, Mayor Brandon Scott put out the welcome mat for Taylor Swift, who is expected to attend this weekend’s AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium to cheer on boyfriend and Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce in the matchup against the Ravens. Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 The elegant universe of Martha Stewart, however, rolled out a rare welcome mat. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim, Salt-N-Pepa, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott and Eve were among some of the thriving stars in the ’90s and ‘2000s who placed the welcome mat for women looking to step onto the scene. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 1 Sep. 2023 His parents also were weary of laying down the welcome mat to the social media world too soon. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 19 Feb. 2024 Even President Biden is vowing to shut down the border instead of rolling out the proverbial welcome mat. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'welcome mat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near welcome mat

Cite this Entry

“Welcome mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welcome%20mat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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