intersect

verb

in·​ter·​sect ˌin-tər-ˈsekt 

intersected; intersecting; intersects

transitive verb

: to pierce or divide by passing through or across : cross

a comet intersecting earth's orbit

one line intersects another

intransitive verb

1

: to meet and cross at a point

lines intersecting at right angles

2

: to share a common area : overlap

where morality and self-interest intersect

Synonyms of intersect

• cross

Examples of intersect in a Sentence

A dry stream bed intersects the trail in several places.

Line A intersects with line B.

The two roads intersect at the edge of town.

Recent Examples on the Web

On my first day in town, our route intersects that of a lunchtime protest march. — Fred A. Bernstein, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2026

Lloyd and Wash never intersected — Wash served as the defensive coordinator there from 2016 to 2020, leaving two years prior to Lloyd’s drafting — but Lloyd heard flattering stories from his friends and teammates. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026

The men and women, both of whom split their home games between Hartford and M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion on campus, have staged periodic doubleheaders in the years since, when schedules intersected. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026

For now, tokenization therefore still intersects with much of the existing financial infrastructure. — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin intersectus, past participle of intersecare, from inter- + secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for intersect

• architect
• circumspect
• deselect
• dialect
• disconnect
• disinfect
• disrespect
• incorrect
• indirect
• intellect
• interject
• pluperfect

Kids Definition

intersect

verb

in·​ter·​sect ˌint-ər-ˈsekt 

1

: to divide by passing through or across : cross

one line intersecting another

2

: to meet and cross at one or more points

overlapping circles intersect at two points