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
All of the costumes and set pieces have been built for the show, with none of it borrowed from anywhere else.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Students who want to use the laptops for extra work at home can also borrow a Chromebook from the school library, the Times reported.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
As Motorrad first pointed out, the 1000 RR borrows from QJ Motor, right from its design to the motor used.
—New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
The hotel's library is stocked with biographies that pay tribute to its famous past guests, from David Mamet to Caroline Kennedy, which today's guests can borrow or purchase.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Students who want to use the laptops for extra work at home can also borrow a Chromebook from the school library, the Times reported.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
As Motorrad first pointed out, the 1000 RR borrows from QJ Motor, right from its design to the motor used.
—New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
The hotel's library is stocked with biographies that pay tribute to its famous past guests, from David Mamet to Caroline Kennedy, which today's guests can borrow or purchase.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrow
Verb
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The shelter is adopting out the remaining chihuahuas (Fieto, Baby, Lola and Missy) in pairs.—
Amanda Rosa
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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Trump compared Starmer's approach to Iran to former United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who adopted an appeasement policy toward Nazi Germany during World War II.—
Elaine Mallon,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 18 minutes, Ingles totaled seven points, four rebounds and four assists while being embraced by his former teammates and coaches throughout the night.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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Many are financed through crowdfunding, with subscribers garnering exclusive perks, and embrace subtitles and alternate audio (a series like the Japanese cyberpunk Milky Subway is dubbed in 10 different languages).—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Borrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrow. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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