at cross-purposes

phrase

: 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

Rhymes for at cross-purposes

• purposes