1
: an outer part or edge
at the borders of the forest
2
textiles
: an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug
3
: a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a lawn or walkway
a border of tulips
4
: boundary
on the border between New York and Canada
crossed the border into Italy
5
: a plain or decorative margin around printed matter
wedding invitations with a delicate gold leaf border
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯr-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to put a border on
a rug bordered with a pattern of leaves
bordered the garden with pansies
2
: to touch at the edge or boundary : bound
borders the city on the south
Slovakia borders Poland.
1
: to lie on the border
the U.S. borders on Canada
2
: to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge
borders on the ridiculous
Synonyms
Examples of border in a Sentence
Noun
He grew up in Malaysia, near the Indonesian border.
They live just beyond the western border of the park.
the border of the Sahara
The quilt is quite plain except for its colorful border.
a broad red border on each plate
He planted pansies in the border.
Verb
Their property borders the park.
Tall trees border the avenue.
Two rivers border the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
The vicious gang has taken advantage of a lax southern border under the Biden-Harris administration, with many of its foot soldiers swarming the U.S. and unleashing hell on unsuspecting communities.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The property, which is bordered by Bardstown Road, Beechwood Avenue, Baxter Avenue, and Rosewood Avenue, earned a 92/100 score in walkability, which is one of the highest in the state of Kentucky, according to the listing.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for border 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Higher tariffs — which are the taxes put on goods that cross national borders — would keep the Chinese from flooding the U.S. market with cheaper EVs than U.S. automakers offer.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
The vicious gang has taken advantage of a lax southern border under the Biden-Harris administration, with many of its foot soldiers swarming the U.S. and unleashing hell on unsuspecting communities.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
Among them are New Mexico, which borders Texas to the west, and Colorado, northwest of the state.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The property, which is bordered by Bardstown Road, Beechwood Avenue, Baxter Avenue, and Rosewood Avenue, earned a 92/100 score in walkability, which is one of the highest in the state of Kentucky, according to the listing.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for border
Dictionary Entries Near border
Cite this Entry
“Border.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
border
2 of 2 verb
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to put a border on
border the garden with flowers
2
: to be located close or next to
the U.S. borders on Canada
3
: to come very close to being : verge
that remark borders on the ridiculous
Medical Definition
border
noun
bor·der
ˈbȯrd-ər
: an outer part or edge see brush border
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