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.

---

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

---

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

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 )

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

Of course, we also go for stories that are larger than life, that traverse beyond this realm into a place that only movies can go.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Joining with the main cast, the new Buzzes enact the series’ trademark high jinks about the silly maneuvering it takes for toys to traverse the types of barriers that humans can easily negotiate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Cummings has a wider range to traverse as Arnold, whose repressed rage eventually has to find an outlet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

The bridge pinches off faster than light could traverse it, rendering it non-traversable.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

She can run in them if she has to, jump curbs, traverse the buckled, faulted sidewalks of Brooklyn without twisting an ankle.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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

The course traverses the city, starting off in Stormont in east Belfast then heading south.

From BBC ● May 3, 2026

Combined with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—some 20% of the world’s oil traverses through the narrow waterway—$150 oil may not be so far-fetched.

From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026

Through these documents, the viewer travels across Sepuya’s memory as he traverses New York and L.A. in search of his artistic path and creative vision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

It traverses no notable eminences at all in Pennsylvania, offers no particularly memorable vistas, visits no national parks or forests, and overlooks the state’s considerable history.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

They all high-fived, asked about each other’s families and went to dote on Ali’s 1-year-old daughter — Krug’s granddaughter, Eloise — who wore a shirt that traversed 50 years of family and friendship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

In recent weeks, clumps of ships, some of them the world’s largest tankers laden with oil and liquefied natural gas, have traversed the dangerous crossing, creating a tiny relief valve for the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

A description says it happened over Lake Huron in February 2023, around the time that a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed the United States, spurring increased scrutiny of UFOs.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

On Tuesday, two Chinese tankers carrying crude oil traversed the Strait of Hormuz.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

They’d traversed about half of what they could see of its length when Mark heard voices, then saw their source.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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

Vasquez’s fears stemmed less from corporate backlash and more from his past life as a raver traversing Orange County and L.A.’s late-night scenes.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Charles McQuarn, 77, said traversing the neighborhood means zigzagging around all the hazards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

The solar cells and extra battery stayed beautifully in place while traversing eight kilometers of random terrain.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

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