port of entry

noun phrase

1
: a place where foreign goods may be cleared through a customhouse
2
: a place where an alien may be permitted to enter a country

Examples of port of entry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The long wait has led thousands of migrants to cross from areas between ports of entry and turn themselves in to the U.S. Border Patrol. Kristen Taketa, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024 Most arrived in the U.S. after Biden took office in 2021, crossing the border illegally between ports of entry, turning themselves in to authorities and asking for asylum. Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 24 Oct. 2024 The asylum restrictions affect most migrants entering the U.S. between legal border entry points, known as ports of entry. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 30 Sep. 2024 Those who do not make an asylum request at a legal port of entry will be barred from receiving asylum. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for port of entry 

Word History

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of port of entry was in 1714

Dictionary Entries Near port of entry

Cite this Entry

“Port of entry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/port%20of%20entry. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!