across
preposition
UKəˈkrɒsUSəˈkrɒs
from one side of something to the other side; on or to the other side of
Example Sentences
They walked across the bridge to reach the other side of the river.
His house is directly across the street from the school.
The hikers traveled across rugged terrain to reach the summit.
She looked across the room and noticed a friend waving at her.
Thesaurus
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Antonyms
adverb
UKəˈkrɒsUSəˈkrɒs
from one side to the other; horizontally; in a direction that passes over something
Example Sentences
She ran across to greet her cousin the moment she arrived.
The children raced across to see what was happening in the next field.
Light travels across the room, illuminating every corner as the sun rises higher.
They shouted across to each other, trying to be heard above the roar of the water.
Moving the table across made more space for guests in the living room.
Banners hung across, creating a festive walkway for the parade.
To get a better view, he walked across to the edge of the hill, where he could see the entire valley stretching out in front of him.
In the old town, neighbors often call across to each other from balcony to balcony, sharing news, laughter, and a sense of community that has endured for generations.
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How to Use
Indicates movement, position, or extension from one side to another.The preposition “across” is widely used in both spoken and written English to indicate passage or position from one side of something to the other side. You might say, “I walked across the park,” meaning you started on one side of the park and ended up on the opposite side. “Across” can also signal that something is found or located on the far side relative to a certain point of reference—like, “The café is across the street from the library,” clarifying that if you cross the street, you’ll find the café directly in front of you.Beyond physical movement and location, “across” can be applied figuratively to communicate that something extends or is spread from one area or group to another. For instance, “The new policy applies across all departments,” implies that every department is covered. Similarly, you might mention that an idea spreads “across social media,” indicating its proliferation to various platforms.In sentences, “across” often pairs with nouns referring to areas, surfaces, or abstract domains like subjects and communities. It’s flexible enough to handle multiple scenarios: from describing a person traveling across a river on a boat, to explaining that data is collected across different age groups. In professional or academic contexts, “across” can highlight ranges or scopes, as when a study spans multiple categories or locations.When using “across,” be mindful of the sentence’s structure. Usually, it precedes the noun or object describing where or how something traverses. For example, “He threw the ball across the yard” places “across” immediately before “the yard.” Pay attention to whether you mean literal crossing of space or an abstract notion—like unifying themes across cultures. Clarity keeps your writing and speech smooth, ensuring your audience understands exactly how or where something extends. Whether you’re literally walking from one side of a street to another or figuratively bridging gaps in communication, “across” emphasizes the idea of covering space or distance.
Alternatives
If you want to replace “across” or find similar phrases, your choice will vary with context. For physical crossing or positioning, you could say “on the other side,” “over,” or “through.” For instance, “I walked over the bridge” feels slightly less direct than “I walked across the bridge” but still indicates traversing from one side to the other. You might also use “opposite” when referring to something facing another location—“The bookstore is opposite the train station.”If your focus is on the idea of distribution or scope, consider “throughout” or “across the board.” For instance, “The changes apply throughout the company” is similar to “The changes apply across the company,” but “throughout” emphasizes complete coverage. Another possibility is “among,” which works if you’re describing shared elements in a group, like “Among various cultures, certain traditions persist.” Each term carries its own nuance. “Across” specifically suggests a clear, often linear sense of crossing or spanning. “Throughout” signals pervasive coverage, while “among” highlights distribution within a collective. Combining these terms thoughtfully can give your writing depth, capturing how something—be it a policy, physical route, or concept—reaches or influences a range of places or people.
Writing
In your writing, “across” can strengthen clarity about how objects, people, or ideas traverse space or permeate topics. For example, a travel blog might state, “She journeyed across Southeast Asia for six months,” illustrating the path covering multiple countries and cultures. In an academic paper, “across” might appear in statements like, “The study surveyed participants across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds,” underlining its broad or inclusive scope.When describing location, “across” communicates a sense of directness—you clearly define the starting and ending sides. Meanwhile, if you’re conveying the idea of something shared or applied widely, “across” marks how a phenomenon, rule, or trend spans categories or regions. This can be especially helpful in business reports: “We implemented the new software across all regional offices,” confirming universal coverage.Aim for consistency when using “across.” If you introduce a concept as spanning multiple groups, maintain that same angle throughout your piece. Similarly, if you’re describing physical places, consider adding visual cues or transitional phrases—like “from east to west”—to further paint a vivid picture. In academic or technical documents, “across” pairs neatly with charts, graphs, and statistical information, making it clear that data covers a broad field. By employing “across” effectively, you’ll guide your readers through spatial or conceptual boundaries in a straightforward, cohesive manner that aligns with your text’s overall structure and objectives.
Casual Conversation
In everyday conversation, “across” is your go-to word for talking about crossing streets, describing where things lie in relation to each other, or noting that something exists widely. You might say, “I ran across the road to catch the bus,” or “Their house is across the street from the bakery.” It’s direct and easy to understand, letting people picture the route or location.When chatting about broader reach—like a social media campaign or a joke spreading—“across” does the job, too. Someone might remark, “This hashtag is trending across all major platforms,” describing how it’s popping up everywhere. In a more personal scenario, you could say, “The news spread across our friend group pretty fast,” highlighting that everyone caught wind of it quickly.Because “across” comes naturally, you don’t need to overthink it in casual talk. Just be sure you’re matching context and clarity. If you’re physically crossing something—like a park, the country, or a room—“across” pinpoints that linear movement. If you’re talking about a trend or concept, “across” signals that it touches multiple areas or networks. Tying it to a specific location, topic, or group helps listeners understand exactly where or how something is extending. Overall, in laid-back settings, “across” keeps things simple and straightforward, reflecting everyday experiences of moving from one side to another or noting spread across boundaries.
Etymology
The term “across” originated in Middle English, evolving from earlier phrases like “a cross” or “on cross.” It’s related to the Old French word “acrosser” (“to pass over”) and has roots in the word “cross,” which itself ties to the Latin “crux,” meaning a stake or instrument of crossing. Initially, “across” was closely aligned with the idea of traversing or stretching over a boundary—a notion that persists in all its modern uses.Over centuries, as English diversified through interactions with different cultures, “across” absorbed the broader sense of spanning distances or being situated opposite sides. The word’s growth in meaning paralleled societal expansions in exploration and communication; people needed concise language to indicate movement over rivers, roads, and seas, as well as the broad distribution of objects, messages, or cultural ideas. These evolving contexts helped “across” become a standard preposition for indicating crosswise direction, boundary traversal, or wide-ranging coverage. Although it’s simple and everyday, its history aligns with humanity’s drive to bridge spaces and connect places—both physically and conceptually.
