crossing

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ 

1

: the act or action of crossing: such as

a

: a traversing or traveling across

b

: an opposing, blocking, or thwarting especially in an unfair or dishonest manner

2

a

: a place or structure (as on a street or over a river) where pedestrians or vehicles cross

especially : crosswalk

b

: the place in a cruciform church where the transept crosses the nave

c

: a place where a railroad track crosses a street

Synonyms of crossing

• voyage
• cruise

Examples of crossing in a Sentence

Stop at the railroad crossing.

a crossing for ferry boats

the crossing of a mountain range

a weeklong crossing of the Atlantic Ocean

Recent Examples on the Web

Mousa Tamari takes a beautiful crossing shot into the box from Ehsan Haddad and slides into the ball to send it past Argentina keeper Emiliano Martínez and into the back of the net for Jordan’s first score and third of the tournament. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 June 2026

In the last few weeks, Ukrainian drones have struck supply routes for Russian troops as well as railroad bridges, ferry crossings and oil refineries. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 27 June 2026

The uncertainty is leaving many shipping company owners waiting to see a sustained period of incident-free crossings before allowing their vessels to set sail again. — Eleni Giokos, CNN Money, 27 June 2026

The extraordinary crossing, captured on film by Luke Ochse and the Kyambura Lion Project, would later earn Jacob a place in the Guinness World Records. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crossing

• crossing guard
• crossing-over
• grade crossing
• level crossing
• pedestrian crossing
• pelican crossing
• railroad crossing
• zebra crossing

Rhymes for crossing

• bossing
• glossing
• tossing
• crisscrossing
• embossing
• outcrossing
• recrossing

Kids Definition

crossing

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ 

1

a

: the act of one that crosses

b

: a voyage across water

c

: the act or process of interbreeding or hybridizing

2

: a place where a street or stream is crossed

3

: a place where two things (as a street and a railroad track) cross