at cross-purposes
idiom
: in a way that causes confusion or failure because people are working or talking with different goals or purposes
We'll never succeed together if we continue to work at cross-purposes (with each other).
It became clear that they were talking at cross-purposes.
Examples of at cross-purposes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The demise of the West as a reliable geopolitical unit will increasingly see the United States and its former partners acting at cross-purposes and finding themselves on the opposite sides of debates.
—
Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Fragmented mental models mean teams interpret current reality differently and then act at cross-purposes.
—Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The two have been at cross-purposes for years, ignoring their hearts for a litany of reasons.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Over the years, these groups have worked together and at cross-purposes, too, driven by competing visions of history.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for at cross-purposes
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Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Fragmented mental models mean teams interpret current reality differently and then act at cross-purposes.
—Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The two have been at cross-purposes for years, ignoring their hearts for a litany of reasons.
—EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Over the years, these groups have worked together and at cross-purposes, too, driven by competing visions of history.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for at cross-purposes
Cite this Entry
“At cross-purposes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20cross-purposes. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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