as in adopts
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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Recent Examples of borrows
That’s the way of the football world — everybody borrows from each other.
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David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
Retro design roots The cyberdeck borrows heavily from early mobile computing.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026
Michelin darling Thomas Bühner has lent his name to a new concept, Taste, which borrows its tradition-meets-innovation concept from his three-star restaurant La Vie.
—Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2025
First introduced in 2019, the Tabby borrows from an archival 1970s design that’s quickly become one of the brand’s most recognizable styles.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2025
Branding also borrows the more bold aesthetics of the Adizero line.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Dec. 2025
Patagonia aims to solve that problem with the Durable parka, which has a 75-denier, ripstop nylon/polyester face fabric that borrows technology from their Workwear line and is significantly less prone to tears than other parkas.
—Jakob Schiller, Outside, 18 Nov. 2025
Although the trend borrows heavily from Ralph Lauren's holiday collections and overall aesthetic, the phrase Ralph Lauren Christmas really cemented itself online in late 2025.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Come next year, the trio will open doors on a new Italian American steakhouse concept that borrows its name from that popular phrase, Spacca Tutto, in the anchor spot formerly occupied by The Draycott.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for borrows
Verb
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Sheep in the Box is is set in the near future in which a couple adopts a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, while Look Back is adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s eponymous bestselling manga about two girls pursuing their dreams of becoming manga artists.—
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Translating Anthony Burgess’s stylized, dystopian novel for the screen, Kubrick adopts a playful, formal approach that combines colorful, futuristic exuberance with rapid-fire editing, changes in camera speed, and a garish production design that melds space-age and Georgian-era aesthetics.—
Verb
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Its program embraces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion alongside educational excellence.—
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However, this model recalls the small living movement's roots with a compact cabin-like dwelling that runs off-the-grid and embraces rustic styling.—
Cite this Entry
“Borrows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/borrows. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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