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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
East Tennessee, Knoxville area: Severe storms are expected to come across the eastern part of the state on the night of July 21, then the heat will roll in. Joyce Orlando, The Tennessean, 22 July 2025 The 33-year old prolific social media influencer has seen friendships grow as players come across each other more and more on the growing adaptive golf circuit. Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 This often results in the stirring up of old memories and unresolved feelings, or perhaps coming across an old text thread or friend when out and about. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 July 2025 The team had planned to pull an Earth core sample, a long cylindrical piece of rock or sediment, and came across a partial fossil. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for come across

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of come across was in 1878

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Come across.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20across. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on come across

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!