Phrasal verb
border on
Definitions
01physical location
phr.v. to be right next to another country or area.
phr.v. to share a common boundary or frontier with a geographical area.
“France and Germany both border on several other European countries.”
“The small principality borders on the Mediterranean Sea to the south and is surrounded by rugged mountains on all other sides.”
Usage
This is an inseparable phrasal verb that takes a direct object.
02almost like something
phr.v. to be very close to a certain quality or feeling, usually a negative one.
phr.v. to come near to being something; to verge on a particular state or quality, typically one that is extreme or undesirable.
“His behavior was so strange that it started to border on madness.”
“The critic argued that the director's latest film was so self-indulgent that it began to border on the absurd.”
Usage
Usually followed by a noun representing an extreme quality like 'madness', 'absurdity', or 'genius'.
Teaching tip
point out that while it can describe physical geography, in figurative use it almost always points toward a negative or excessive trait.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
border + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/border-on