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

Silence paired with distance, on the other hand, often comes across as indifference, even if something is said publicly. —Teresa Hopke, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Rahman comes across as a policy wonk who can summon facts and figures on any issue. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026

Brady and Belichick, by contrast, came across as technocrats fit for the 21st century who maximized efficiencies across the organization. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026

Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks. —Literary Hub, 27 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