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

• voyage
• cruise

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

What To Know Lithuania’s prime minister Inga Ruginiene announced the closure of Salcininkai and Medininkai, the country's two operational border crossings with Belarus, after the third incident this month involving balloons launched from Belarusian territory. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

No crossing guards were present because school had already begun for the day, the outlet added. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

It’s currently caught in a pocket of wind shear that’s helping to balance out the storm-fueling effects of the warmer-than-average waters its crossing. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

There were crossing points; Leonie and I had done it ourselves several times. —David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 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