verb

abut

/əˈbʌt/ · say it: uh·BUT

to touch or border on; to lean against

In Architecture & Design

In more detail

1. (verb) to be next to or touching something; to share a border with

2. (verb) to lean against or rest on something

Examples

1. Our property abuts the river on the north side.
2. The ladder abuts the wall at a forty-five-degree angle.

How to use abut

Abut is typically used in formal or legal contexts to describe geographical or physical adjacency, particularly concerning properties, structures, or land boundaries. It emphasizes a direct touching or sharing of a border rather than mere proximity, and is more precise and formal than synonyms like 'border' or 'adjoin'.

Common phrases

abut on
abut against
abut each other
property that abuts
land abutting

Synonyms

adjoin · border · neighbor · touch · be adjacent to

Word family

abutment · abutting · abutter

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 'abut' with 'about' or mispronounce it; also, the prepositions 'on' and 'against' are both used with 'abut', but 'abut on' is slightly more common in property/land descriptions.

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