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bordering (on)

verb

present participle of border (on)
1
as in touching (on)
to come very close to being that comment borders on insubordination, and you should be more careful in the future

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in adjoining
to be adjacent to that state borders on three others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bordering (on)
  1. resembling
  2. adjoining
  3. joining
  4. flanking
  5. surrounding
  6. touching
  7. neighboring
Verb
  • One was Lady Dracula Cher, with little baby fangs and her box resembling a coffin.
    — MARK KENNEDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of resembling
Verb
  • Undeterred, the three friends bought the hotel and adjoining property for $3 million and have since spent over $10 million on renovations and redesign.
    — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The film could use a few more such colorful secondary strands adjoining the main conflict, though one subplot involving a maybe-romance between two jaded journalists assigned to the summit is oddly framed and abruptly dropped.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of adjoining
Verb
  • Another day, another instance of Vicki saying something insane about a woman whose only crime was joining her show.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • While star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s brothers won’t join him on the Miami Heat’s roster, former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Vin Baker is joining the two-time NBA MVP in Miami.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of joining
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
Definition of flanking
Verb
  • The privacy problem The bigger concern surrounding this tech, however, is privacy.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, bodies are starting to float in from the surrounding lakes and streams, transforming the picturesque setting into a hellscape that, when the Soviets arrive, is likely to get worse.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
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
Definition of touching
Verb
  • At its base, large chamfered openings break up the building’s mass and create a visual link with the neighboring First Baptist Church.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Biden administration imposed the measures in 2021 over human rights abuses committed during the Tigray war in neighboring Ethiopia.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of neighboring
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bordering
bordering (on)
borderland
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bordering (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bordering%20%28on%29. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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