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

This is how sports betting and athletes have intersected for much of the past six months. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Clad in charred cedar, concrete and sawn limestone, the home’s intersecting volumes vault over an outdoor living space that’s shaded from the Texas sun by the living area above. —Fred Albert, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

The project interviewed forty artists about their lives, their work, and how the AIDS crisis intersected and permeated both. —Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026

The narrative unravels a web of dark, intersecting secrets within a residential building, catalyzed by the mysterious disappearance of a young boy on the winter solstice. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 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