Across means from one side to the other; on or to the other side; in every part of an area; or describing a measurement of width. It works as both a preposition (across the river) and an adverb (she swam across).
What Does Across Mean?
Across entered Middle English as acros or on cros, derived from Old French en croix meaning "in the form of a cross" or "crosswise". The original sense described something placed transversally — at a right angle, like crossed arms. By the 14th century the word had broadened to mean any movement or position that spans a surface from one side to the other.
In modern English, across has four main senses. First, it describes movement from one side to the other of a space or surface: walk across the bridge. Second, it locates something on the opposite side: the café is just across the street. Third, it means "throughout" or "in every part of": schools across the United Kingdom. Fourth, it describes a width measurement: the table is 90 centimetres across.
As an adverb, across stands alone without a following noun when the destination is clear from context: the lake is wide, but we rowed across. This flexibility — combined with its role in numerous phrasal verbs — makes across one of the most versatile and frequently used words in English.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| The children ran across the playground. | A2 — preposition, physical movement |
| She came across a useful idiom while reading the newspaper. | B1 — phrasal verb: come across = find by chance |
| The new policy will affect workers across the entire organisation. | B1 — meaning "throughout", used in workplace context |
| The bridge stretches across the valley, connecting two previously isolated communities. | B2 — preposition with extended noun phrase, descriptive writing |
| The government's austerity measures cut across traditional party lines, uniting unlikely allies. | C1 — cut across = challenge or go beyond; figurative, formal register |
Collocations with Across
| Collocation | Meaning & example |
|---|---|
| come across | Find by chance; make an impression — I came across a brilliant article online. |
| get (something) across | Communicate successfully — She struggled to get her point across. |
| run across | Encounter unexpectedly — I ran across an old friend at the market. |
| put across | Express or explain clearly — He put his ideas across with great clarity. |
| cut across | Go beyond or challenge — The issue cuts across all political boundaries. |
| spread across | Extend over an area — The wildfire spread across thousands of hectares. |
| across the board | Applying to everyone equally — Prices rose across the board. |
| across the country | Throughout the nation — Schools across the country adopted the new curriculum. |
| stumble across | Discover by accident — She stumbled across the old letters in the attic. |
| look across | Direct one's gaze to the other side — He looked across the table and smiled. |
Usage Notes
Across vs. over: Both describe movement from one side to another, but over often implies going above something or to the other side of a raised barrier (jump over the fence). Across focuses on the horizontal surface or open distance travelled (swim across the river). In informal British English the two are often interchangeable for rivers, roads, and rooms.
Across vs. through: Use across for open surfaces and flat areas. Use through for enclosed spaces where you enter and exit (walk through a tunnel, drive through the city centre). A useful test: if you could draw a straight line from one side to the other on a map without going inside anything, across is likely correct.
Across as adverb: When the destination is understood from context, across needs no following noun: The river looked cold but we swam across. Do not add an unnecessary preposition in this construction.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
She walked across of the street.
She walked across the street. (no "of" after across)
The news spread across of Europe quickly.
The news spread across Europe quickly. (across is followed directly by a noun, never "of")
I came across to a helpful website.
I came across a helpful website. (come across takes a direct object; no preposition between come across and the noun)