cross-purpose
noun
cross-pur·pose
ˈkrȯs-ˈpər-pəs 
: a purpose usually unintentionally contrary to another purpose of oneself or of someone or something else
—usually used in plural
the two were always working at cross-purposes
Examples of cross-purpose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Regular check-ins and a culture that encourages feedback keeps everyone in harmony, preventing talented individuals from working at cross-purposes.
—
Ariel Katz, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Hitler’s Germany and Prime Minister Benito Mussolini’s Italy worked at cross-purposes in crises over Austria in 1934 and Ethiopia in 1935.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2024
She's got her own motivations and delusions of grandeur, and the Forsaken often work at cross-purposes.
—Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 22 Sep. 2023
Perhaps fittingly, then, the plan’s execution seems to be under a spell too, with everyone lost in an entanglement of sloppiness, cross-purposes and bad luck.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2023
Though the flows are manicured and melodic, the bars stumble over the album’s cross-purposes.
—Vulture, 2 Aug. 2023
Their loose confederation has its cross-purposes and is united mainly by hostility toward the United States.
—Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Over the last year, the Fed’s duties as an inflation fighter and a bank regulator have been at cross-purposes.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Added difficulty stems from the fact that typical solutions for them can work at cross-purposes.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ariel Katz, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Hitler’s Germany and Prime Minister Benito Mussolini’s Italy worked at cross-purposes in crises over Austria in 1934 and Ethiopia in 1935.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2024
She's got her own motivations and delusions of grandeur, and the Forsaken often work at cross-purposes.
—Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 22 Sep. 2023
Perhaps fittingly, then, the plan’s execution seems to be under a spell too, with everyone lost in an entanglement of sloppiness, cross-purposes and bad luck.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2023
Though the flows are manicured and melodic, the bars stumble over the album’s cross-purposes.
—Vulture, 2 Aug. 2023
Their loose confederation has its cross-purposes and is united mainly by hostility toward the United States.
—Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022
Over the last year, the Fed’s duties as an inflation fighter and a bank regulator have been at cross-purposes.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Added difficulty stems from the fact that typical solutions for them can work at cross-purposes.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near cross-purpose
Cite this Entry
“Cross-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-purpose. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share