across
- 01 A1 Beginner
prep.from one side of something to the other side.
prep.from one side to the opposite side of a space, surface, or line.
Simple“The children ran across the road to reach the park.”
In context“The marathon route takes the runners across the historic bridge, offering a panoramic view of the city skyline before they enter the final stretch.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
prep.on the other side of something.
prep.positioned on the opposite side of a particular area or divider.
Simple“The bakery is just across the street from the library.”
In context“The two rival companies are located across the square from each other, maintaining a constant visual reminder of their competition.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
prep.in every part of a place or group.
prep.distributed throughout or reaching every part of a specific area or population.
Simple“The news spread quickly across the small village.”
In context“The government implemented new environmental regulations across the entire manufacturing sector to reduce carbon emissions by the end of the decade.”
Synonyms - 04 A2 Elementary
adv.moving from one side to the other.
adv.to or on the opposite side; used when the space being crossed is understood.
Simple“The river is narrow enough to swim across.”
In context“The ferry takes only ten minutes to get across, making it a convenient option for daily commuters.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
prep.knowing all the details about a situation or plan.
prep.fully informed about or in control of a specific situation or set of facts.
Simple“I need to make sure the manager is across the new project details.”
In context“The director is fully across the budgetary implications of the merger and will present her findings to the board tomorrow morning.”
Synonyms - 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a word that goes from left to right in a word puzzle.
n.a clue or answer that is entered horizontally in a crossword puzzle.
Simple“I have finished all the across clues, but the down ones are hard.”
In context“The solver struggled with twelve across, a cryptic clue that required knowledge of obscure botanical terms.”
SynonymsAntonyms
Typically followed by a noun phrase acting as the object of the preposition.
Across is a preposition and does not require 'of' to connect to its object.
Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Old Latin en Latin in Old French en Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der.? Latin crux Old French crois Anglo-Norman an croizbor. Middle English acros English across From Middle English acros, from early Middle English a-croiz, a-creoyz, from Anglo-Norman an (“in, on”) + croiz (“in the form of a cross”). More at cross. By surface analysis, a- + cross.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.