Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English fluency, combining a verb with a preposition or adverb to create a new meaning. The preposition “across” is particularly versatile, adding richness and nuance to many verbs.
This comprehensive list of 100 phrasal verbs with “across” will help expand your vocabulary and enhance your English communication skills.
1-10: Movement and travel
Come across
To find something by chance.
“I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.”
Run across
To meet or find someone/something unexpectedly.
“I ran across my former teacher at the grocery store.”
Get across
To reach the other side of something.
“We need to get across this river before nightfall.”
Move across
To relocate to the other side.
“The company moved across town to larger offices.”
Walk across
To traverse on foot.
“It takes about 45 minutes to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Drive across
To travel by vehicle from one side to another.
“We drove across the country last summer, from New York to California.”
Fly across
To travel by air over a distance.
“The birds fly across the lake every morning.”
Sail across
To travel by boat from one shore to another.
“Columbus sailed across the Atlantic in 1492.”
Swim across
To traverse water by swimming.
“She trained for months before attempting to swim across the English Channel.”
Skip across
To move lightly and quickly.
“The stone skipped across the surface of the water.”
11-20: Communication and ideas
Get something across
To communicate an idea effectively.
“The teacher struggled to get the complex concept across to her students.”
Put across
To express or explain clearly.
“He puts his ideas across well in meetings.”
Bring across
To convey a message or feeling.
“The documentary brings across the urgency of climate action.”
Carry across
To convey meaning from one context to another.
“Some jokes don’t carry across well when translated.”
Read across
To examine information across different sources.
“Reading across multiple news sites gives a more balanced perspective.”
Write across
To communicate in writing to various recipients.
“She wrote across several departments requesting their input.”
Call across
To shout to someone at a distance.
“He called across the street to get his friend’s attention.”
Echo across
To reverberate or resound over a distance.
“Her voice echoed across the canyon.”
Signal across
To send a message or sign over distance.
“The ships signaled across the harbor using lights.”
Translate across
To convert meaning from one language or context to another.
“Some cultural references don’t translate across to foreign audiences.”
21-30: Visual perception
Look across
To direct one’s gaze toward something distant.
“She looked across the valley to the mountains beyond.”
See across
To visually perceive something at a distance.
“On clear days, you can see across the strait to the mainland.”
Peer across
To look intently or with difficulty.
“He peered across the dimly lit room.”
Gaze across
To look steadily and intently.
“They gazed across the ocean at the setting sun.”
Glance across
To look briefly or quickly.
“She glanced across the table at her opponent.”
Scan across
To examine methodically with one’s eyes.
“The lifeguard scanned across the beach for any signs of trouble.”
Spot across
To notice or identify at a distance.
“I spotted my friend across the crowded terminal.”
Stare across
To look fixedly or vacantly.
“He stared across the room, lost in thought.”
View across
To observe or consider from a distance.
“From the hilltop, we viewed across the entire city.”
Watch across
To observe over time and distance.
“We watched across the field as the deer approached.”
31-40: Physical actions
Reach across
To extend one’s arm or hand toward something.
“She reached across the table for the salt.”
Stretch across
To extend over a distance.
“The bridge stretches across the river.”
Cut across
To take a shorter route through.
“We cut across the park to save time.”
Jump across
To leap over something.
“The children jumped across the small stream.”
Throw across
To toss something from one side to another.
“Please throw the ball across to me.”
Push across
To move something by force to the other side.
“He pushed the cart across the floor.”
Pull across
To draw something toward oneself over a distance.
“She pulled the rope across the gap.”
Slide across
To move smoothly over a surface.
“He slid the document across the desk for me to sign.”
Spray across
To discharge liquid in droplets over an area.
“The sprinkler sprayed water across the lawn.”
Sweep across
To move swiftly over an area.
“The storm swept across the plains.”
41-50: Distribution and spread
Spread across
To distribute over an area.
“The news spread across the town quickly.”
Scatter across
To disperse widely.
“The team members scattered across the field.”
Distribute across
To allocate among several places.
“The company distributed its resources across multiple projects.”
Divide across
To separate into parts over different areas.
“The inheritance was divided across all family members.”
Share across
To use jointly by different groups.
“This technology is shared across various departments.”
Split across
To divide between different locations.
“The conference was split across three venues.”
Allocate across
To assign to different categories.
“Budget cuts were allocated across all departments.”
Diffuse across
To spread gradually.
“Knowledge diffused across continents through trade routes.”
Expand across
To increase in size or scope over an area.
“The company expanded across Europe in the last decade.”
Extend across
To cover a specified area.
“His influence extends across multiple industries.”
51-60: Relationships and connections
Bridge across
To connect two separated things.
“The negotiator tried to bridge across the differences between parties.”
Link across
To connect different elements.
“These trade routes link across several countries.”
Connect across
To join or unite over distance.
“The internet connects people across the world.”
Bond across
To form relationships despite differences.
“They bonded across cultural divides.”
Network across
To establish connections among groups.
“She networks across industries to find new opportunities.”
Collaborate across
To work jointly with different groups.
“The scientists collaborate across universities on this research.”
Communicate across
To exchange information between different entities.
“It’s important to communicate across departments.”
Coordinate across
To organize activities involving different groups.
“We need to coordinate across time zones for the global meeting.”
Cooperate across
To work together despite boundaries.
“The countries cooperate across borders on environmental issues.”
Partner across
To form working relationships between different organizations.
“The company partners across sectors to promote sustainability.”
61-70: Time and changes
Carry across
To continue something from one time period to another.
“This tradition has been carried across many generations.”
Pass across
To transfer from one state to another.
“The family business passed across from father to son.”
Transition across
To change from one condition to another.
“The company transitioned across from traditional to digital marketing.”
Evolve across
To develop gradually over time.
“Language evolves across centuries.”
Transform across
To change completely over time or space.
“The landscape transformed across the seasons.”
Shift across
To move from one position to another.
“Public opinion shifted across dramatically after the scandal.”
Flow across
To move smoothly from one phase to another.
“Ideas flow across generations, building upon previous knowledge.”
Bleed across
To gradually merge or affect adjacent areas.
“The colors bleed across each other in watercolor painting.”
Ripple across
To spread gradually like ripples in water.
“The economic crisis rippled across global markets.”
Cascade across
To occur in sequence affecting multiple areas.
“The changes cascaded across the entire organization.”
71-80: Obstacles and challenges
Break across
To penetrate a barrier.
“The sunlight broke across the horizon.”
Burst across
To appear suddenly and forcefully.
“The runners burst across the finish line.”
Crash across
To move violently through obstacles.
“The waves crashed across the sea wall during the storm.”
Force across
To compel movement despite resistance.
“They forced their way across the border.”
Forge across
To move forward with determination.
“The explorers forged across the uncharted territory.”
Push across
To advance despite difficulties.
“The bill was pushed across despite opposition.”
Rush across
To move hurriedly.
“She rushed across the street before the light changed.”
Smash across
To move forward violently, destroying obstacles.
“The flood smashed across the barriers.”
Tear across
To move rapidly and forcefully.
“The motorcycle tore across the empty parking lot.”
Thrust across
To push forcefully.
“He thrust the document across the table angrily.”
81-90: Influence and impact
Echo across
To have effects that resonate in different areas.
“The decision echoed across financial markets worldwide.”
Radiate across
To spread outward from a center.
“Her influence radiates across the entire organization.”
Reverberate across
To have continuing and spreading effects.
“The scandal reverberated across the political landscape.”
Roll across
To move in a wave-like motion, affecting different areas.
“Budget cuts rolled across multiple departments.”
Rumble across
To move with a deep, heavy sound or impact.
“Discontent rumbled across the workforce after the announcement.”
Send ripples across
To cause widespread effects.
“The new policy sent ripples across the industry.”
Shine across
To project influence or excellence.
“Her leadership qualities shine across every project she touches.”
Wave across
To extend influence over distance.
“The trend waved across social media platforms.”
Wash across
To spread over like water.
“Relief washed across his face when he heard the good news.”
Weave across
To integrate throughout.
“Cultural references weave across her literary works.”
91-100: Miscellaneous uses
Bleed across
(In printing/design) When colors or images merge unintentionally.
“The ink bled across the page when it got wet.”
Crop across
To trim or cut across boundaries.
“The image was cropped across the middle.”
Fade across
To gradually diminish or blend.
“The music faded across to the next song.”
Filter across
To pass gradually through a medium.
“Light filtered across the dusty room.”
Flash across
To appear briefly and brightly.
“A look of recognition flashed across her face.”
Flicker across
To appear inconsistently.
“A smile flickered across his lips.”
Loop across
To create a circular path connecting different points.
“The trail loops across several different ecosystems.”
Merge across
To combine elements from different sources.
“The highway merges across with the interstate.”
Morph across
To transform gradually from one form to another.
“The character morphs across different personas throughout the film.”
Splice across
To join or connect different elements.
“The DNA was spliced across with genes from another organism.”
Mastering phrasal verbs with “across” adds depth and precision to your English communication. These versatile combinations help express everything from physical movement to abstract concepts with greater accuracy. Practice using these phrasal verbs in your daily conversations and writing to become more comfortable with their various meanings and applications.
