border on

phrasal verb

bordered on; bordering on; borders on

: to have a border on (something) : to lie on a boundary of (something)

The area my ancestors come from borders on the Atacama Desert.

: to be very like (something) : to come very close to being (something)

The play's dialog borders on the ridiculous.

an enthusiasm bordering on fanaticism

Examples of border on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Juston Gordon-Montgomery grew up during the Attitude Era of pro wrestling — a time when the personalities were humongous, the storylines were wild, and the theater of it all bordered on high camp. —

Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2024 Jeffrey and Sandy Williams, portrayed by Laura Dern, on the other hand, at times deliver dialogue that borders on saccharine goodness. —

Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024 The case is being heard by a Texas judge who borders on being an antiabortion activist. —

Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 Not surprisingly, the earliest verdicts were marked by outrage bordering on bile. —

Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for border on