crossing

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ How to pronounce crossing (audio)
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

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 As Israeli troops aim to take control of the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, officials in Cairo warn that the move would undermine the 1979 peace treaty. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 The White House has been asking Congress to fund these efforts, as undocumented crossings increase. Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 22 Mar. 2024 Strain, wearing a 2-tone shirt, is seen in this video crossing 1st Ave N to Gay St (right to left), at 9:47 p.m. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024 In the year after Charles Lindbergh completed the world’s first solo trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in May 1927, more than 50 aviators attempted similarly precedent-breaking crossings. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 Israel however has a total of six crossings into Gaza, some of which haven’t been operational for over a decade. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 One of the biggest flashpoints between the two leaders is the fate of the Rafah, located on Gaza's 7.5-mile border with Egypt − which is the only crossing that isn't controlled by Israel. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Aid groups have called on Israel to open more border crossings directly into northern Gaza, where food shortages are most extreme, and to ease restrictions on convoys. Anushka Patil, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Land crossings are drastically cheaper per ton than airdrops. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crossing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crossing was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near crossing

Cite this Entry

“Crossing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crossing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crossing

noun
cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ How to pronounce crossing (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on crossing

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