abut

abut (up) against

To lean or press onto something else. Thanks to all that flooding, the old shed now abuts against the house. That tree is abutting up against your roof—you need to have someone come and take it down. We still want a small gap, though. We don't want the refrigerator to abut up against the cabinet.

See also: abut

abut on

To adjoin or meet at an edge or boundary. He is finding it difficult to sell his house since his property abuts on a cemetery. If we want to take down that tree, I'll have to talk to the neighbor because it abuts on his property. Sure, this plot of land is vacant now, but I'm worried that our lawn will one day abut on a grocery store parking lot or something.

See also: abut, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

abut on something

[particularly of the edge of an area of land] to meet or touch something along one boundary or at one point. Our land abuts on the shopping center's parking lot.

See also: abut, on

abut (up) against something

to rest firmly against something solid. The end of the board abutted against the foundation.

See also: abut

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.