Synonyms of border

border 1 of 3

noun

ˈbȯr-dər 

1

as in perimeter

the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something

a rug with a fancily embroidered border

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perimeter
• edge
• boundary
• edging
• confines
• circumference
• margin
• verge
• end
• periphery
• rim
• fringe
• frame
• skirt
• outskirts
• bound
• brim
• hem
• skirting
• borderline
• compass
• cusp
• extent
• lip
• frontier
• shore
• crest
• brink
• curb
• demarcation
• ceiling
• maximum
• borderland
• limitation
• restriction
• mere
• march
• termination
• measure
• ambit
• selvage
• lap
• pale

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• center
• heart
• within
• core
• middle
• interior
• inside
• inner

2

as in frontier

a region along the dividing line between two countries

people who live on an international border get used to carrying a passport

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frontier
• borderland
• march
• no-man's-land

border

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to margin

to serve as a border for

that velvet bordered the sleeves on this shirt, until it fell off

Synonyms & Similar Words

• margin
• edge
• surround
• bound
• fringe
• rim
• skirt
• frame
• encircle
• circle
• loop
• hem
• trim
• trace
• outline
• wall
• define
• demarcate
• round
• enclose
• sketch
• ring
• limit
• curb
• delineate
• restrict
• silhouette
• control
• circumscribe
• confine
• check
• restrain
• environ
• girth
• compass
• girdle

border (on)

3 of 3

verb (2)

1

as in to touch (on)

to come very close to being

that comment borders on insubordination, and you should be more careful in the future

Synonyms & Similar Words

• touch (on)
• verge (on)
• seem
• trench (on)
• resemble
• suggest
• approach
• compare (with)
• measure up (to)
• look
• near
• appear
• stack up (against or with)
• approximate

2

as in to join

to be adjacent to

that state borders on three others

Synonyms & Similar Words

• join
• verge (on)
• adjoin
• neighbor
• touch
• flank
• march (with)
• surround
• butt (on or against)
• fringe
• attach (to)
• connect (with)
• communicate (with)
• abut
• link (with)
• meet
• skirt
• line
• fence
• bound
• margin
• enclose
• contact
• embrace
• converge
• encircle
• rim

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of border

Noun

By 2017, the two groups occupied entirely distinct territories and patrolled their borders against outsiders. —Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026

What began as a low-level conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border region erupted into a full-scale war in September 2024. —Abby Sewell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Verb

The state’s isolation, bordered by rivers and the sea and lacking road connections to the rest of Brazil, has helped protect it from the deforestation seen in the southern Amazon. —Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

An unnamed regional official later told the Associated Press that the ceasefire deal allows both Iran and Oman, which border the Strait, to charge transit fees. —Angelica Ang, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

Phrases Containing border

• border (on)