crossing

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ 

1

: the act or action of crossing: such as

a

: a traversing or traveling across

b

: an opposing, blocking, or thwarting especially in an unfair or dishonest manner

2

a

: a place or structure (as on a street or over a river) where pedestrians or vehicles cross

especially : crosswalk

b

: the place in a cruciform church where the transept crosses the nave

c

: a place where a railroad track crosses a street

Synonyms

• cruise
• passage
• sail
• voyage

Examples of crossing in a Sentence

Stop at the railroad crossing.

a crossing for ferry boats

the crossing of a mountain range

a weeklong crossing of the Atlantic Ocean

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2018, Brady went on to complete the first 4WD crossing of the Greenland ice sheet, south to north. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 25 May 2025

Perhaps most notable about the agencies’ accusations is that the hackers targeted 10,000 security cameras in countries bordering Ukraine, including at border crossings, military facilities, and train stations. —Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 24 May 2025

The Monkton Road amphibian crossings have been presented at an international conference and across the Northeast as a model of an innovative and successful wildlife infrastructure crossing project. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

These mini-goals transformed an intimidating channel crossing into a series of achievable stretches. —Natalie Nixon, Flow Space, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crossing

• crossing guard
• crossing-over
• grade crossing
• level crossing
• pedestrian crossing
• pelican crossing
• railroad crossing
• zebra crossing

Rhymes for crossing

• bossing
• glossing
• tossing
• crisscrossing
• embossing
• outcrossing
• recrossing

Kids Definition

crossing

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ 

1

a

: the act of one that crosses

b

: a voyage across water

c

: the act or process of interbreeding or hybridizing

2

: a place where a street or stream is crossed

3

: a place where two things (as a street and a railroad track) cross