come across

British  

verb

1. (preposition) to meet or find by accident

2. (adverb) (of a person or his or her words) to communicate the intended meaning or impression

3. (often foll by with) to provide what is expected

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come across Idioms  

1. Also, come upon ; run across . Meet or find by chance, as in I came across your old letters today , or He came upon her looking in the store window . or If I run across it, I'll call you . The first term dates from the 1800s. The first variant was used by Oliver Goldsmith in She Stoops to Conquer (1773): “You are to go sideways till you come upon Crack-Skull Common.” The second variant was used by Mark Twain in Tramp Abroad (1880): “If I don't run across you in Italy, you hunt me up in London.”

2. Also, come across with . Pay or give what is expected or demanded, as in He finally came across with some food , or The landlord wants the rent, so come across . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

3. Make a particular impression, as in He comes across as a very sincere person or Her meaning doesn't really come across; she'll have to revise the speech . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s] Also see get across ; put across .

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Example Sentences

Rosenior has come across as respectful and patient, and impressed in work with Chelsea's charitable foundation, according to multiple anecdotes from staff inside the club.

From BBC

When he visited the campus in 2006, he came across a list of the top 50 alumni—and he wasn’t on it.

From The Wall Street Journal

She comes across as a needy figure, chasing money and support - apparently describing herself to Epstein as "very traumatised and alone".

From BBC

We had come across something that felt entirely new and brought the evidence home from faraway Dale Mabry Highway to preserve in that scrapbook.

From The Wall Street Journal

The crown princess gave little away during the conversation, and some of her responses come across as defensive.

From BBC

Related Words

• bump into
• discover
• notice
• stumble upon
• uncover
• unearth