Across, Acrossed, and Cross

Across is a preposition. It describes the relationship between two persons, places, or things. It is sometimes used with the preposition from.

Example: That house is across the street.

Cross is most commonly a verb or noun. As a verb, it means "to go or place across." As a noun, it means "an object made of two intersecting segments."

Crossed is the past tense or past participle of the verb to cross.

Examples: Will you cross the street with me? (Verb)

Jesus, Peter, and Andrew each died on a cross. (Noun)

He crossed the street with me. (Past tense)

Their trademark is a pair of crossed swords. (Past participle)

Cross can sometimes be an adjective meaning "opposing," "placed across," or "angry."

Examples: They were working at cross purposes.

He was counting the cross ties on the track.

Please don't look so cross.

Across occasionally is used as an adverb.

Example: She ran across to say hello.

Do not use acrossed, crossed, or acrost as a preposition or adverb.

(The words acrossed and acrost are strictly nonstandard. They are sometimes used by writers to show dialect.)

Incorrect: He stared acrossed the aisle at me.

Correct: He stared across the aisle at me.


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