crossing

1 of 2

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

crossing

2 of 2

present participle of cross entry 2

Synonyms of crossing

Noun

• voyage
• cruise

Examples of crossing in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

Ceuta was overwhelmed by a mass crossing of some 80,000 people, mostly from neighboring Morocco, in late July. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Monkeys, tigers, exotic birds destined for the pet trade or as trophies, reptiles and sea cucumbers prized for food and medicine all pass through the region's airports and border crossings, according to officials with the network. — John Donegan Long Beach Post, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

During this year’s crossing, the PC13 developed erratic steering around the halfway point, which Oshen believes may have been caused by excessive friction in the rudder. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026

Triumph Of course, there will be water crossings to deal with, so not all of these miles will be covered in the saddle. — New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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