across
Americanpreposition
-
from one side to the other of.
a bridge across a river.
-
on or to the other side of; beyond.
across the sea.
-
into contact with; into the presence of, usually by accident.
to come across an old friend; to run across a first edition of Byron.
-
crosswise of or transversely to the length of something; athwart.
coats across the bed; straddled across the boundary line.
adverb
-
from one side to another.
-
on the other side.
We'll soon be across.
-
crosswise; transversely.
with arms across.
-
so as to be understood or learned.
He couldn't get the idea across to the class.
-
into a desired or successful state.
to put a business deal across.
adjective
preposition
-
from one side to the other side of
-
on or at the other side of
-
so as to transcend boundaries or barriers
people united across borders by religion and history
the study of linguistics across cultures
-
fully informed about; dealing with
we are across this problem
adverb
-
from one side to the other
-
on or to the other side
Etymology
Origin of across
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.
But now, many of those secret files have been splashed across the internet, along with tens of thousands of other sensitive records from the L.A. city attorney’s office.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
This information can then be shared across multiple government agencies.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
Looking across the past 25 runnings, the average weight of the winner is between 10st 12lb and 10st 13lb.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Within hours of the initial strikes on Iran, major hospitals across Israel shifted to maximum emergency readiness, moving patients and critical departments underground.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
She starts talking again, but another message flashes across my screen.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
