Definition of adjoiningnext

adjoining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of adjoin
1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word adjoining different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of adjoining are adjacent, contiguous, and juxtaposed. While all these words mean "being in close proximity," adjoining definitely implies meeting and touching at some point or line.

had adjoining rooms at the hotel

Where would adjacent be a reasonable alternative to adjoining?

While in some cases nearly identical to adjoining, adjacent may or may not imply contact but always implies absence of anything of the same kind in between.

a house with an adjacent garage

When is contiguous a more appropriate choice than adjoining?

While the synonyms contiguous and adjoining are close in meaning, contiguous implies having contact on all or most of one side.

offices in all 48 contiguous states

When might juxtaposed be a better fit than adjoining?

In some situations, the words juxtaposed and adjoining are roughly equivalent. However, juxtaposed means placed side by side especially so as to permit comparison and contrast.

a skyscraper juxtaposed to a church

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adjoining
Adjective
Soon enough, staff began ushering and, with increasing urgency, encouraging everyone to take their seats in the adjoining show space. Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026 Heading upstairs, the upper deck centers around an elegant lounge with a large dining table for family meals and an adjoining outdoor terrace. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Safa Muhammad lives in the townhomes adjoining the lot, and attended the open house with some neighbors. Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Several suites are in the mix, including a Palace Roof Suite with swoon-worthy scenery from its waterfront terrace and a Bosphorus Palace Suite that can connect to adjoining rooms to create a three-bedroom royal residence. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for adjoining
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjoining
Adjective
  • Seven on-site townhomes adjacent to the hotel range from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet, each sporting three stories with an elevator and two-car garage.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Houthis have already seized a long stretch of the Yemeni coastline adjacent to the Red Sea – one of the world’s most important waterways – and control the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint at its southern end.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Standing in the backyard of a house situated near a neighboring golf course, rider screams are certainly audible, and residents said the consistency of them is destroying their quality of life.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The rebel group’s swift advance in Yemen and attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia in recent weeks have put the kingdom in an increasingly difficult position, facing the prospect of being drawn into a wider conflict as the US-Iran war drags on.
    Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The 2009 recession, financial rescue packages, and the COVID-19 pandemic which started in 2020 were responsible for adding trillions to this debt.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier attempts to solve the problem have included adding surplus lithium or placing thick protective coatings on the electrode.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Much of the stone used to construct Hadrian’s Wall and its forts and milecastles was recycled over the centuries, but the stone footings largely remain, as do the flanking ditches.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Stick them among potted plants flanking an entryway for a welcoming ambiance, or arrange them in tall black vases among mini pumpkins on a dining table or entryway console.
    Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The roll call late Tuesday, 220-204, was similar to earlier efforts this summer, with a few more Republicans joining all Democrats voting to bring an end to the conflict.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In the new documentary Lorne, a memorable scene sees Lorne Michaels, the Saturday Night Live creator and king of comedy, joining his friend Steve Martin for dinner at Orso in Manhattan.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • And thanks to another recent state law — the Live Local Act — developers would be able to sidestep local zoning regulations, allowing for a project that would smash height restrictions to tower above all surrounding buildings.
    Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Dillard’s work, though not exclusively about nature, often focused on the natural world, the cruelty and beauty of both flora and fauna, narrowing in on the extremity of the biological systems surrounding us.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The work that’s growing fastest is work done with people and with things — the kind AI is furthest from touching.
    Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The order set in motion efforts to revise or remove interpretive signs and other materials across national parks and federal sites, touching on subjects ranging from slavery and Indigenous history to climate change.
    Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • To squeeze in more disks, consider that a circle can have as many as six other equal-sized circles simultaneously abutting it.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Stratos Project is set to take over 20,000 acres of desert brush and farmland in Box Elder County, abutting the Great Salt Lake.
    Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Adjoining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjoining. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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