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

For all his reflections on loss, burnout, and a culture moving too quickly, Leane doesn’t come across as nostalgic or defeated. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026

Still just 24, Calafiori has always come across like someone who seems fated to enjoy everything about football. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The authors of the study, GP Mara Znagoveanu and paediatrician Edward Artley, note the importance of considering the condition when coming across similar fishnet-pattern bruising and rashes in children. — Mike McRae 09, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026

Their questions can sometimes come across too personal, too insincere or just simply too out there. — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for come across

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