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Synonyms

across

American  
[uh-kraws, uh-kros] / əˈkrɔs, əˈkrɒs /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. from one side to the other

  2. on or to the other side

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
across Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing across


Etymology

Origin of across

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Beginnings: The Story of Creation in the Middle Ages” explores how the biblical concept of Genesis has been interpreted and visualized across time, starting with artists making work during the Middle Ages.

From Los Angeles Times

From the restaurant terrace, they watched fires pop up across the city.

From Los Angeles Times

The Alliance of Health Care Unions counts some 62,000 Kaiser workers across 23 local unions among its members.

From Los Angeles Times

After a week of stormy weather across California, a break in the clouds provided a glimpse of a mountainous landscape transformed by snow.

From Los Angeles Times

It's also spurred several spaceport projects across Europe - from the Azores in Portugal, to Norway's far north.

From BBC