welcome mat

noun

: something likened to a mat placed before an entrance as a sign of welcome
put out the welcome mat for foreign investors

Examples of welcome mat 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.
The city has been rolling out the welcome mat for weeks, and even the dinosaurs at the Children's Museum are rocking friendship bracelets. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024 In years past, there had been no such welcome mat for Modi in Washington. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024 The documentary feature The House From …, which counts Ryan Reynolds as executive producer, is ready to roll out the welcome mat. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024 Dayton rolls out the welcome mat for immigrants While nearby Springfield, Ohio, has become a lightning rod in the national debate over immigration, Dayton has been working for more than a decade to lure more immigrants, to help fill jobs and revitalize old neighborhoods. Scott Horsley, NPR, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for welcome mat 

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of welcome mat was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near welcome mat

Cite this Entry

“Welcome mat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welcome%20mat. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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