traverse

American  

[trav-ers, truh-vurs] / ˈtræv ərs, trəˈvɜrs /

verb (used with object)

• traverses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• traversed,
  past participle,  past
• traversing
  present participle

1. 

   to pass or move over, along, or through.

   Synonyms:

   cross

2. to go to and fro over or along.

3. to extend across or over.

   A bridge traverses the stream.

4. to go up, down, or across (a rope, mountain, hill, etc.) at an angle.

   The climbers traversed the east face of the mountain.

5. to ski across (a hill or slope).

6. to cause to move laterally.

7. to look over, examine, or consider carefully; survey; consider.

8. to go counter to; obstruct; thwart.

9. to contradict or deny.

   Synonyms:

   challenge, dispute, gainsay

10. Law.

    1. (in the law of pleading) to deny formally (an allegation of fact set forth in a previous pleading).

    2. to join issue upon.

11. to turn and point (a gun) in any direction.

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verb (used without object)

• traverses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• traversed,
  past participle,  past
• traversing
  present participle

1. to pass along or go across something; cross.

   a point in the river where we could traverse.

2. to ski across a hill or slope on a diagonal.

3. to turn laterally, as a gun.

4. Fencing. to glide the blade toward the hilt of the contestant's foil while applying pressure to the blade.

noun

• traverses
  plural

1. the act of passing across, over, or through.

2. something that crosses, obstructs, or thwarts; obstacle.

3. a transversal or similar line.

4. a place where one may traverse or cross; crossing.

5. Architecture. a transverse gallery or loft of communication in a church or other large building.

6. a bar, strip, rod, or other structural part placed or extending across; crosspiece; crossbar.

7. a railing, lattice, or screen serving as a barrier.

8. Nautical.

   1. the zigzag track of a vessel compelled by contrary winds or currents to sail on different courses.

   2. each of the runs in a single direction made in such sailing.

9. Fortification.

   1. a defensive barrier, parapet, or the like, placed transversely.

   2. a defensive barrier thrown across the terreplein or the covered way of a fortification to protect it from enfilade fire.

10. Gunnery. the horizontal turning of a gun so as to make it point in any required direction.

11. Machinery.

    1. the motion of a lathe tool or grinding wheel along a piece of work.

    2. a part moving along a piece of work in this way, as the carriage of a lathe.

12. Surveying. a series of intersecting surveyed lines whose lengths and angles of intersection, measured at instrument stations, are recorded graphically on a map and in numerical form in data tables.

13. Law. a formal denial of some matter of fact alleged by the other side.

adjective

1. lying, extending, or passing across; transverse.

traverse British  

/ trəˈvɜːs, ˈtrævɜːs /

verb

1. to pass or go over or back and forth over (something); cross

2. (tr) to go against; oppose; obstruct

3. to move or cause to move sideways or crosswise

4. (tr) to extend or reach across

5. to turn (an artillery gun) laterally on its pivot or mount or (of an artillery gun) to turn laterally

6. (tr) to look over or examine carefully

7. (tr) law to deny (an allegation of fact), as in pleading

8. (intr) fencing to slide one's blade towards an opponent's hilt while applying pressure against his blade

9. mountaineering to move across (a face) horizontally

10. (tr) nautical to brace (a yard) fore and aft

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noun

1. something being or lying across, such as a transom

2. a gallery or loft inside a building that crosses it

3. maths another name for transversal

4. an obstruction or hindrance

5. fortifications a protective bank or other barrier across a trench or rampart

6. a railing, screen, or curtain

7. the act or an instance of traversing or crossing

8. a path or road across

9. nautical the zigzag course of a vessel tacking frequently

10. law the formal denial of a fact alleged in the opposite party's pleading

11. surveying a survey consisting of a series of straight lines, the length of each and the angle between them being measured

12. mountaineering a horizontal move across a face

adjective

1. being or lying across; transverse

adverb

1. an archaic word for across

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• traversal
  noun
• traverser
  noun
• retraverse
  verb
• nontraversable
  adjective
• traversable
  adjective
• untraversable
  adjective
• untraversed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• traverses
  plural

Participles

• traversing
  present
• traversed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• traverse
  simple
• traverses
  simple
• have traversed
  perfect
• has traversed
  perfect
• am traversing
  progressive
• are traversing
  progressive
• is traversing
  progressive
• have been traversing
  perfect progressive
• has been traversing
  perfect progressive

Past

• traversed
  simple
• had traversed
  perfect
• was traversing
  progressive
• were traversing
  progressive
• had been traversing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will traverse
  simple
• will have traversed
  perfect
• will be traversing
  progressive
• will have been traversing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of traverse

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English traversen, from Middle French traverser ”to cross,” from Late Latin trānsversāre, derivative of Latin trānsversus ( see trans-, versus); (noun) Middle English travers(e), from Middle French traverse (from Latin trānsversa “something lying across,” feminine of trānsversus ) and travers (from Latin trānsversum passage across, neuter of trānsversus )

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Explanation

The verb traverse means to travel across an extended area. "Her dream was to traverse the country by car, so she could meet new people and see all the kitschy sites — like the giant roadside tire in Michigan or the shoe house in Pennsylvania." The verb traverse can also mean "to span," to span a physical space or time. "The bridge traversed the river, linking the two cities." Traverse can be used for any crossing, but it often is used when implying the crossing will be difficult. "She was exhausted from traveling in the snowy conditions, but she still had to traverse an icy bridge before she would arrive safely home."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

traverse traverses traversed traversing

Every year, over 1.5 million trucks traverse Blue Water Bridge, accounting for $42.2 billion in road trade, according to Canadian officials, with volumes expected to be down in the wake of the trade war.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

“Folks will be able to traverse past giant ancient redwoods to mighty rivers ... through lush vineyards, golden rolling hills.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

“It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Bosco—though he is already planning for a repeat eclipse that will traverse Spain again next year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman about a mechanism for ships to traverse the Strait of Hormuz was “nearing completion and in their final stages,” according to Iranian state media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

“I would climb mountains and traverse dangerous cliff paths. I would poke my head into dark caves and push over heavy boulders.”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

“This technology will help us find Luke Skywalker as he traverses the universe in his X-Wing. This technology is a necessary, necessary force.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

However paradoxical it may seem, it has a directly measurable effect on the atomic cloud that the photon traverses.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

A coming-of-age trilogy that traverses icy seas and snowy mountains concludes among the everyday struggles of an Icelandic village.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Even when it traverses difficult terrain, though, the story emerges on the other side with another layer to add to its ongoing consideration of what it means to live free in America.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026

People picking up their burgers never know that their order traverses two states and bounces back before they can even start driving to the pickup window.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

These are places I’ve traversed, documented and obsessed over for years, culminating in my book “The Enduring Wild.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The latter traversed the Panama Canal on a tugboat named the Shannon Dann, which rescued four fishermen off the coast of Baja California, tangerine behemoth and all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

In particular, most of China’s oil imports in recent years traversed the Strait of Malacca, near Singapore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

This space has been traversed for nearly four months by Jared Kushner, whom I first met about 18 months ago, when he introduced himself after a foreign policy lecture I had given.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

On the far side of that fence, the terrain cants steeply down, but it is not too steep to be traversed by foot.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

First, we had Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” with Jacob Elordi and a Belgian Malinois traversing a postapocalyptic landscape.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

For most people, spending 22 hours traversing the entire New York City subway system sounds like a nightmare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Indonesia and Singapore vowed on Monday that the Strait of Malacca, a critical oil transit chokepoint in the region, will remain "accessible" even as Iran imposes fees on ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

And the three-hour performance was a reminder that his global success didn't happen overnight, with him digging deep into his eight-year discography - traversing trap and reggaeton fusions.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

She starts in the comer and writes steadily across, my name and my name traversing everything else.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

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Related Words

• criss-cross
• cross
• cut across
• pass through
• span
• travel over

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