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View synonyms for across

across

[ uh-kraws, uh-kros ]

preposition

  1. from one side to the other of:

    a bridge across a river.

  2. on or to the other side of; beyond:

    across the sea.

  3. into contact with; into the presence of, usually by accident:

    to come across an old friend; to run across a first edition of Byron.

  4. crosswise of or transversely to the length of something; athwart:

    coats across the bed; straddled across the boundary line.



adverb

  1. from one side to another.
  2. on the other side:

    We'll soon be across.

  3. crosswise; transversely:

    with arms across.

  4. so as to be understood or learned:

    He couldn't get the idea across to the class.

  5. into a desired or successful state:

    to put a business deal across.

adjective

  1. being in a crossed or transverse position; crosswise:

    an across pattern of supporting beams.

across

/ əˈkrɒs /

preposition

  1. from one side to the other side of
  2. on or at the other side of
  3. so as to transcend boundaries or barriers

    people united across borders by religion and history

    the study of linguistics across cultures

  4. fully informed about; dealing with

    we are across this problem



adverb

  1. from one side to the other
  2. on or to the other side

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Word History and Origins

Origin of across1

First recorded in 1470–80; a- 1 + cross

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Word History and Origins

Origin of across1

C13: on croice, acros, from Old French a croix crosswise

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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with across , also see come across ; cut across ; get across ; put across ; run across .

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Example Sentences

In that photo, Merabet has a big smile that spreads across his whole face and lights up his eyes.

The CDA was passed not in the name of censorship but in the name of protecting children from stumbling across sexual material.

Opponents of Muslims and immigrants across the continent are claiming vindication in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

“This is a federal mandate that is causing some real problems for schools across the country,” Kline told a CBS affiliate in July.

His peers remember him as a bright man who spoke softly and occasionally came across as a bit shy.

Davy looked around and saw an old man coming toward them across the lawn.

Specimens were easily collected in a mist net placed across the opening.

They ran side by side across the yard to a roofed flight of steps that led to the printing-office.

The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.

His head fell back limp on MacRae's arm, and the rest of the message went with the game old Dutchman across the big divide.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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