come across

verb

came across; come across; coming across; comes across

intransitive verb

1

: to give over or furnish something demanded

especially : to pay over money

2

: to produce an impression

comes across as a good speaker

3

: come through sense 2

transitive verb

: to meet, find, or encounter especially by chance

Researchers have come across important new evidence.

Synonyms of come across

• seem
• feel
• look
• sound

Examples of come across in a Sentence

the law professor comes across as a bit of an ogre at first, but he's actually quite personable

Recent Examples on the Web

That idea comes across in an especially poignant scene in season 5, volume 2, when Robin has a very motherly talk with Will about coming out. —Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 8 Jan. 2026

Both of the above are essential to the show’s endgame, ensuring that a sequence of unhinged kickers ostensibly meant to be devilish fun instead come across as mean-spirited and exploitative. —Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026

The Beatles’ mystical bond will come across in the movie, said Mescal. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026

O’Leary doesn’t care about how that statement comes across. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for come across

• albatross
• applesauce
• barabbas
• helios
• kshatriyas
• backcross
• crisscross
• lacrosse
• recross
• tomas
• blas
• bos