as in to adopt
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
borrowed the basic plot from a book of tales, but put her personal stamp on the story
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Recent Examples of borrow
Where Wilson and Fischer really deepen Wills-Jones’ tale is in the private moments between the fisherwoman and her wicker husband, who awaits her at the altar in a handsome new suit and shoes borrowed from her neighbors — the tailor (Nabhaan Rizwan), shoemaker (Scott Alexander Yougng) and so on.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Capital then becomes more expensive for utilities — both borrowing costs and the costs to maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure increase.
—Rory M. Christian, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Notes of tea aren’t totally new in the perfume world; Early adopters of the trend include Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria and Elizabeth Arden's White Tea range, but the latest iterations borrow from modern sips ranging from chai to matcha, and everything in between.
—Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 23 Jan. 2026
And Sean Payton is borrowing from the script written by his mentor Bill Parcells.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Capital then becomes more expensive for utilities — both borrowing costs and the costs to maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure increase.
—Rory M. Christian, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Notes of tea aren’t totally new in the perfume world; Early adopters of the trend include Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria and Elizabeth Arden's White Tea range, but the latest iterations borrow from modern sips ranging from chai to matcha, and everything in between.
—Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 23 Jan. 2026
And Sean Payton is borrowing from the script written by his mentor Bill Parcells.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrow
Verb
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Another concern specific to Alphabet was that adopting AI would cannibalize its Search revenue.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
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Many are already adopted by the time the show airs, however, thanks to their cuteness level.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the backlash suggests On This Day… is still somewhat ahead of its time, and that viewers don’t want revered storytellers embracing artificial intelligence.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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The professional wrestling company has also attracted a larger Latino fan base in recent years by embracing Mexican luchadores and the Latino wrestling tradition.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Borrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrow. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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