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
All smoke and sweat, full of gospel phrasing and hip-hop undertones, Brown Sugar introduced D’Angelo as an emotive, smooth-talking vocalist, a thinking, feeling performer in the likeness of Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and Curtis Mayfield without borrowing too heavily from any of them.
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Marcus J. Moore, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2025
The only silver lining in recent economic news is that the Fed has finally started a rate-cutting cycle in an attempt to shoreup a softening job market, which could benefit consumers interested in borrowing for mortgages, cars and other purchases.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Those projects were at earlier stages than the ones in Asia, and the company has been borrowing to cover its huge dividends — mostly to the Saudi government — amid lower oil prices.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 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
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Marcus J. Moore, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2025
The only silver lining in recent economic news is that the Fed has finally started a rate-cutting cycle in an attempt to shoreup a softening job market, which could benefit consumers interested in borrowing for mortgages, cars and other purchases.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Those projects were at earlier stages than the ones in Asia, and the company has been borrowing to cover its huge dividends — mostly to the Saudi government — amid lower oil prices.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 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
See All Example Sentences for borrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrowing
Verb
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Finding out who the father was took a backseat then with the family instead focused on raising the puppies and adopting them out.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Absent replacing party sinecurists with able, energetic people, nothing can keep candidates from adopting this agenda on their own—as some younger primary challengers of Democratic incumbents are already starting to do.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As travelers crave experiences over ordinary stays, hotels that have transformed grim to glam are now embracing their bizarre and sometimes haunted histories, even hosting weddings and wellness retreats.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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ProSieben wasn’t the only European media giant embracing change this week, as Tatxo Benet exited his CEO and chairman role at Spanish production giant Mediapro after 25 years.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Borrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrowing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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