as in adopting
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of borrowing
The Federal Reserve manages interest rates for borrowing money in America.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Tenants who aren’t actively borrowing can benefit from boosting their credit scores as well.
—Ryan Barone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Hawley waited until the start of the fifth season to lean all the way into the comparison, by borrowing the movie’s inciting incident where a Minnesota Nice housewife is kidnapped by two goons — one hapless, one relentless and seemingly mystical.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Rema isn’t the only star soundtracking raves this season, as Amaarae honors dance music from the Black diaspora by borrowing from her native Ghanaian highlife, Brazilian baile funk, Jersey club and more for her third studio album Black Star.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Tenants who aren’t actively borrowing can benefit from boosting their credit scores as well.
—Ryan Barone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Hawley waited until the start of the fifth season to lean all the way into the comparison, by borrowing the movie’s inciting incident where a Minnesota Nice housewife is kidnapped by two goons — one hapless, one relentless and seemingly mystical.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Rema isn’t the only star soundtracking raves this season, as Amaarae honors dance music from the Black diaspora by borrowing from her native Ghanaian highlife, Brazilian baile funk, Jersey club and more for her third studio album Black Star.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrowing
Verb
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American presidents, adopting a generous and indulgent approach, often did little or nothing to oppose Chinese bad acts in the hemisphere.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Nearly two-thirds of younger employees are actively helping older colleagues in adopting and learning to use AI tools, according to a June poll of over 2,000 professionals across the United States and the United Kingdom by hybrid workspace operator International Workplace Group.—
Ernestine Siu
Shreya Ghosal,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Begiristain is now spending time with his family in his home city of San Sebastian, embracing life out of the fast lane.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, the industry is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to manage tariff risks, optimize logistics costs, and ensure pricing compliance across complex regulatory environments.—
Nish Acharya,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrowing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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