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Glite Dictionary
to abut

to abut

7 6.9
To be next to another building or piece of land, sharing a border
  • verb
  • /əˈbət/
translation icon : lindar
  • The two houses abut each other, sharing a fence between their yards.
  • abut residential areas
  • abut a commercial district
  • abut the CBD (area)

Because this terror attack didn't just, it wasn't just awful where Hamas could reach there in the areas abutting the Gaza Strip.

Examples

  • Their variable indicates whether or not a property abuts a transmission line.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Invariably, the instrument arms would abut one another and prevent complete freedom of motion.

    Academic text (2005)

  • It's abutting some critical structures.

    The Book of Henry (2017)

  • His property abuts one of your landfills, Dry Run, and his cows have been getting sick.

    Dark Waters (2019)

  • Only the western boundary abuts territory that was part of Israel between 1949 and 1967.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Zone 1 is a coastal strip of land abutting the Pacific Ocean, and Zone 2 is farther inland.

    Academic text (2000)

  • A large, undeveloped section of River View abuts the campus of Lewis and Clark College.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Though zoned for general industrial use, the zoning district abuts residential areas.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The south part of the farm abuts Highway 3, a county road, from Flinerman's old place to the Bogh's.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • For example, the Security Center abuts the Security Building, which is in the Renaissance revival style (Fig. 4).

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

to border
vsto abut
46 2.3

To be next to a country or area along a boundary

usually means meeting at a side without implying surrounding
to adjoin
vsto abut
33 5.2

Next to and touching another place, like a house next to a park

is more neutral and common in everyday description than the formal term
to edge
vsto abut
3 3.2

To be next to another place, sharing a border

refers to sharing a boundary rather than only being near a rim
to butt
vsto abut
1 7.3

To be next to something and share a border

is the standard neutral word rather than the informal alternative
to butt on
vsto abut
1 9.1

To touch the edge of another piece of land or a building

stresses sharing an exact border rather than casual side by side contact
to butt against
vsto abut
1 5.6

To be next to something and touch its edge

expresses adjacency without suggesting pressure or force

Antonyms

separate
829 2.1

Not joined to another thing and kept apart

to detach
16 3.9

To take something off from what it is connected to

How Close

to touch
∞ 1.0
to abut
7 6.9
to adjoin
33 5.2

Surface Forms

abut infinitive
abutted past
abutted past participle
abutting present participle
abuts third person singular

Etymology

Abut comes from old words that mean 'to come to the end' or 'to touch at the edge', giving a picture of one thing reaching another. So, when land or a building abuts something, it literally touches it and shares the same border.