Synonyms of borrow

borrow

verb

ˈbär-(ˌ)ō 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adopt
• embrace
• take up
• cultivate
• use
• assimilate
• take on
• utilize
• follow
• copy
• imitate
• incorporate
• pick up on
• espouse
• absorb
• quote
• usurp
• appropriate
• treasure
• honor
• cherish
• raise
• heed
• take over
• domesticate
• prize
• pretend
• assume
• affect
• naturalize
• arrogate
• simulate
• foster
• nurture
• put on
• bring up
• rear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandon
• relinquish
• forsake
• give up
• surrender
• reject
• disown
• renounce
• repudiate
• abjure
• spurn
• discard
• throw away
• jettison
• throw out
• abnegate
• junk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of borrow

Ulrich's defense attorney argued the former commissioner was struggling with alcoholism and gambling and borrowed money from friends and others during that period. — Alice Gainer, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

The cost of keeping taxes lower The cost of the legislation extends beyond the revenue Washington gives up, and borrowing to cover the gap also means paying interest. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

That means borrowing money is more expensive, which causes more potential homebuyers to delay buying for now. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

In China, trillions of dollars of off-the-books debt have piled up at the local rather than the national level, as local governments borrowed public funds to invest in residential real estate and infrastructure. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026