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

Because of body composition, some notes that could be considered feminine like large waxy florals, or masculine like tobacco can come across completely differently depending on the person. — Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026

Marshall, an obstetrician-gynecologist, also comes across as a decent guy, despite voting to challenge the certification of the 2020 election results and toeing the MAGA line in most instances. — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Related Stories Evans, who first came across Day’s novel as a lockdown read during the Covid pandemic, was instrumental in bringing the series to screen and in getting Sarah Solemani to adapt it (Solemani also plays his wife, Lucy, in the show). — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Refugees are still coming across the border, which has more than doubled the number of Sudanese refugees. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 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