as in adopts
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 borrows
This frame borrows from Bernhard’s tailspin of a novel, set entirely in a narcissist’s armchair.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
With a boho top This denim trend borrows heavily from the bohemian look, so why not lean into it everywhere else?
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025
The series borrows from and advances the term psychogeography, coined in 1955 by French Marxist theorist, writer, filmmaker, and revolutionary Guy Debord to describe the effect that geographical environments have on the emotions and behavior of individuals.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
To fund all that spending and still maintain his stake in Oracle, Ellison borrows heavily against his Oracle shares.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verdagy’s system borrows heavily from chlor-alkali, a century-old industrial electrochemical method used worldwide for chlorine production.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
The model borrows from tech culture’s open-source ethos.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Their technique borrows from results obtained during a 2022 test mission for asteroid collision, called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The film also borrows its name from the 1972 Diamond song.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
With a boho top This denim trend borrows heavily from the bohemian look, so why not lean into it everywhere else?
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025
The series borrows from and advances the term psychogeography, coined in 1955 by French Marxist theorist, writer, filmmaker, and revolutionary Guy Debord to describe the effect that geographical environments have on the emotions and behavior of individuals.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
To fund all that spending and still maintain his stake in Oracle, Ellison borrows heavily against his Oracle shares.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verdagy’s system borrows heavily from chlor-alkali, a century-old industrial electrochemical method used worldwide for chlorine production.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
The model borrows from tech culture’s open-source ethos.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Their technique borrows from results obtained during a 2022 test mission for asteroid collision, called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The film also borrows its name from the 1972 Diamond song.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrows
Verb
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However, Swift’s version adopts a more menacing tone, amplifying themes of manipulation, profit and loyalty in the context of the music industry.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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But governance could be eventually handed over to the Palestinian Authority, which already oversees parts of the West Bank, another Palestinian territory which Israel occupies, provided the Palestinian Authority adopts a broad series of reforms.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Inside its new home, Elanco embraces animal pharmaceuticals.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
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At the same time, two teenagers, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), get drawn into the school’s grip, testing their friendship as one seeks freedom while the other embraces the academy’s promise of transformation.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borrows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrows. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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