In addition to the uses shown below, across is used in phrasal verbs such as 'come across', 'get across', and 'put across'.
1. preposition
If someone or something goes across a place or a boundary, they go from one side of it to the other.
She walked across the floor and lay down on the bed.
He watched Karl run across the street to Tommy.
...an expedition across Africa.
Across is also an adverb.
Richard stood up and walked across to the window.
2. preposition
If something is situated or stretched across something else, it is situated or stretched from one side of it to the other.
...the floating bridge across Lake Washington in Seattle.
He scrawled his name across the bill.
Lucy had strung a banner across the wall saying 'Welcome Home'.
Across is also an adverb.
Trim toenails straight across using nail clippers.
3. preposition
If something is lying across an object or place, it is resting on it and partly covering it.
She found her clothes lying across the chair.
The wind pushed his hair across his face.
4. preposition
Something that is across something such as a street, river, or area is on the other side of it.
Anyone from the houses across the road could see him.
When I saw you across the room I knew I'd met you before.
Synonyms: over, on the other or far side of, past, beyond More Synonyms of across
Across is also an adverb.
They parked across from the Castro Theatre. [+ from]
He pulled up a chair and sat down across from Michael.
5. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you look across at a place, person, or thing, you look towards them.
He glanced across at his sleeping wife.
She rose from the chair and gazed across at him.
...breathtaking views across to the hills.
6. preposition
You use across to say that a particular expression is shown on someone's face.
An enormous grin spread across his face.
For a moment a shadow seemed to pass across Roy's face.
7. preposition
If someone hits you across the face or head, they hit you on that part.
Graham hit him across the face with the gun.
8. preposition
When something happens across a place or organization, it happens equally everywhere within it.
The film opens across America in December.
Thousands of farmers from across Europe have held a huge demonstration in the centreof Brussels.
2,000 workers across all state agencies are to be fired by March 31st.
Synonyms: throughout, over, all over, right through More Synonyms of across
9. preposition
When something happens across a political, religious, or social barrier, it involves people in different groups.
...parties competing across the political spectrum.
10. across the board
11. adverb
Across is used in measurements to show the width of something.
This hand-decorated plate measures 30cm across.
The snails are no larger than one centimetre across.
More Synonyms of across
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsA preposition is one of a small but very common group of words that relate differentitems to each other. Most English prepositions have a number of meanings ... Read more
across in British English
(əˈkrɒs)
preposition
1.
from one side to the other side of
2.
on or at the other side of
3.
so as to transcend boundaries or barriers
people united across borders by religion and history
the study of linguistics across cultures
4.
fully informed about; dealing with
we are across this problem
adverb
5.
from one side to the other
6.
on or to the other side
Word origin
C13: on croice, acros, from Old French a croix crosswise
across in American English
(əˈkrɔs; əˈkrɑs)
adverb
1.
so as to cross; crosswise
2.
from one side to the other
3.
on or to the other side
preposition
4.
from one side to the other of, or so as to cross
5.
on or to the other side of; over; through
6. see come across, phrase under come, run across, phrase under run
Word origin
ME acros < a-, on, in + cros, cross, after Anglo-Fr an croix
More idioms containing
across
across the board
fire a warning shot across someone's bows
Examples of 'across' in a sentence
across
His thoughts flood across his face in his finest performance so far.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The annual Isa allowance can be used in just one or split across both.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It looked as though it could have been his big moment but he shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
The Sun (2017)
But he clipped it way across the left-hand side where Bally was.
The Sun (2016)
Others across the UK face increases of more than 250 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
With the atmosphere more relaxed grandad got out of his chair and walked across the room.
Jan Fennell, Foreword by Monty Roberts THE DOG LISTENER: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (2002)
It is dangerous to read across from one bank to the whole sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Then one of them whacked her across her side.
The Sun (2012)
It casts a shadow across the face that we do not need.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Sometimes we went across the other side.
Max Arthur Lost Voices of the Edwardians: 19011910 in the words of the Men & Women Who WereThere (2006)
He passed his right hand across his face while shaking his head.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There is a rooftop terrace with olive trees and chairs looking across the city rooftops.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Some wheel across in chairs or phone or email to avoid walking.
The Sun (2014)
One manager once threw a chair across the room before storming out.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yesterday we had a rabbit running across one fairway and a man with a roller trudging across another.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The third was a sound was like that of something heavy rolling across the floor and coming to a stop against the wall.
Campbell, Eileen & Brennan, J. H. Dictionary of Mind, Body and Spirit (1994)
First one figure flicks across the window, then the other.
Claudia Hammond EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER: A Journey Through the Science of Feelings (2005)
But he was gorgeous: our eyes met and something went sizzle across the dressing room.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
As it is, they do have something stitched across the front.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
First he dragged a shot across the face of goal and then sent a header into the side-netting.
The Sun (2011)
A look of disapproval spreads across her face.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No one walks across there.
The Sun (2008)
In other languages
across
British English: across /əˈkrɒs/ PREPOSITION
If someone goes across a place, they go from one side of it to the other.
She walked across the road.
American English: across
Arabic: عَبْرَ
Brazilian Portuguese: através de
Chinese: 横跨
Croatian: preko
Czech: přes
Danish: tværs over
Dutch: over
European Spanish: al otro lado de
Finnish: yli
French: de l’autre côté de
German: über
Greek: απέναντι
Italian: attraverso
Japanese: ･･･を横切って
Korean: ...을 가로질러서
Norwegian: tvers over
Polish: przez
European Portuguese: através de
Romanian: de-a curmezișul
Russian: через
Latin American Spanish: al otro lado de
Swedish: tvärsöver
Thai: ข้าม
Turkish: karşıya
Ukrainian: через
Vietnamese: qua sang
All related terms of 'across'
come across
If you come across something or someone, you find them or meet them by chance .
cut across
If an issue or problem cuts across the division between two or more groups of people, it affects or matters to people in all the groups.
get across
When an idea gets across or when you get it across , you succeed in making other people understand it.
put across
When you put something across or put it over , you succeed in describing or explaining it to someone.
read-across
a correlation or relationship between two separate things
run across
If you run across someone or something, you meet them or find them unexpectedly.
across country
If you travel across country , you travel through country areas, avoiding major roads and towns.
stumble across
If you stumble across something or stumble on it, you find it or discover it unexpectedly.
across the way
If something is across the way , it is nearby on the opposite side of a road or area.
put one across
to get (someone) to accept or believe a claim, excuse , etc, by deception
across the board
If a policy or a situation applies across the board , it affects everything or everyone in a particular group.
a shot across the bow
If you describe someone's actions as a shot across the bows of another person, you mean that it is a warning to that person to stop or change what they are doing.
a shot across someone's bows
a warning
fire a warning shot across someone's bows
to do something which shows that you are prepared to oppose someone strongly if they do not stop or change what they are doing
to be written all over someone's face be written across/on someone's face
If a feeling is written all over your face or is written across your face , it is very obvious to other people from your expression .
Chinese translation of 'across'
across
(əˈkrɔs)
prep
(= moving from one side to the other of) 穿过(過) (chuānguò)
⇒ He walked across the room.他穿过这个房间。 (Tā chuānguò zhège fángjiān.)
(= situated on the other side of)[street, river, room etc]在 ... 对(對)面 (zài ... duìmiàn)
⇒ the houses across the street在街对面的房子 (zài jiē duìmiàn de fángzi)
(= extending from one side to the other of) 跨越 (kuàyuè)
⇒ the bridge across Lake Washington跨越华盛顿湖的桥 (kuàyuè Huáshèngdùn Hú de qiáo)
(= over) 搭在 ... 上 (dā zài ... shang)
⇒ Her clothes were lying across the chair.她的衣服正搭在椅子上。 (Tā de yīfu zhèng dā zài yǐzi shang.)
(involving different groups) 跨越 (kuàyuè)
⇒ parties from across the political spectrum来自不同政治派别的党派 (láizì bùtóng zhèngzhì pàibié de dǎngpài)
adv
(to/from a particular place/person) 从(從)/向对(對)面 (cóng/xiàng duìmiàn)
⇒ Richard walked across to the window.理查德向对面的窗户走去。 (Lǐchádé xiàng duìmiàn de chuānghù zǒu qù.)
(= from one side to the other) 从(從)一边(邊)到另一边(邊) (cóng yībiān dào lìngyībiān)
across from (= opposite) 在 ... 对(對)面 (zài ... duìmiàn)
⇒ They parked across from the theatre.他们把车停在剧院的对面。 (Tāmen bǎ chē tíng zài jùyuàn de duìmiàn.)
across at/to (= towards) 朝向 (cháoxiàng)
⇒ He glanced across at his wife.他朝他的妻子瞥了一眼。 (Tā cháo tā de qīzi piēle yī yǎn.)
(= in width) 宽(寬) (kuān)
⇒ a hole 200 metres across200米宽的洞 (liǎngbǎi mǐ kuān de dòng)
to get or put sth across to sb让(讓)某人明白某事 (ràng mǒurén míngbai mǒushì)
All related terms of 'across'
across from
( opposite ) 在 ... 对(對)面 zài ... duìmiàn ⇒ They parked across from the theatre. → 他们把车停在剧院的对面。 Tāmen bǎ chē tíng zài jùyuàn de duìmiàn.
come across
( find ) 偶然发(發)现(現) ǒurán fāxiàn
cut across
( issue, problem : groups, generations ) 影响(響)到 yǐngxiǎng dào