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
Caitlin Chandler, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
The Little Miami River forms the southern border of this ZIP code.
—Andrew Depietro, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025
Widespread damage was also visible in this section of the Pacific Palisades south of Sunset Boulevard, bordered by the Pacific Coast Highway to the south.
—Leanne Abraham, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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
To improve its algorithms, SITA’s model can be updated with information such as interview transcripts, photos, and detailed reporting from border police and other officials.
—Caitlin Chandler, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
The Little Miami River forms the southern border of this ZIP code.
—Andrew Depietro, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
Evacuation warnings that were issued for an area bordered by Ingomar and Saticoy Streets south to Burbank Boulevard, from Valley Circle Boulevard east to Woodlake Avenue, have been lifted.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025
Widespread damage was also visible in this section of the Pacific Palisades south of Sunset Boulevard, bordered by the Pacific Coast Highway to the south.
—Leanne Abraham, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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 22 Jan. 2025.
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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