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
As my colleague Charlie Warzel wrote in March, on X, the White House is now a troll account, borrowing its snide visual language and tone from some of the internet’s most cynical spaces and deploying this style to mock and dehumanize people.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Bell remembers Allen borrowing her VHS tapes of Michael Jackson and trying to emulate his moves.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
Sandinista ideology blended Marxism, liberalism, and nationalism, borrowing ideas from both sides of the Iron Curtain.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Armed with better products, Google search, and no allegiance to the subculture’s origins, people are borrowing from goth to imbue their makeup with an edge.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Bell remembers Allen borrowing her VHS tapes of Michael Jackson and trying to emulate his moves.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
Sandinista ideology blended Marxism, liberalism, and nationalism, borrowing ideas from both sides of the Iron Curtain.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Armed with better products, Google search, and no allegiance to the subculture’s origins, people are borrowing from goth to imbue their makeup with an edge.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrowing
Verb
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Instagram is now adopting the same label for a teen-safety feature, but the possible outcomes are less discrete and obvious.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
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In the end, Krantz added, adopting a more strategic approach ultimately benefits customers, allowing companies to use their time and money more effectively by learning from the successes of others.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Far from abdicating responsibility, these young adults were embracing it and moving, however slowly, into their future roles of caring for us.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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Lowe's is also embracing the oversized trend.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrowing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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