cross·over
ˈkrȯs-ˌō-vər 
2
: an instance or product of genetic crossing-over
3
: a voter registered as a member of one political party who votes in the primary of the other party
4
: a broadening of the popular appeal of an artist (such as a musician) that is often the result of a change of the artist's medium or style
also
: an artist or artistic work that has achieved a crossover
5
: an instance of breaking into another category
6
: a basketball maneuver in which a player dribbles the ball quickly from one hand to the other
7
or crossover SUV
: an automotive vehicle that is similar to a sport utility vehicle but built on a car chassis : cuv
What makes crossovers attractive is that most combine the look of an SUV with the more civilized driving characteristics of a car.—
Jonathan Welch
Jonathan Welch1
: having two pieces that cross especially one over the other
a crossover vest
2
: critical sense 2
the crossover point
crossed over; crossing over; crosses over
: to reach a broader audience by a change of medium or style
a country singer crossing over to the pop charts
Examples of crossover in a Sentence
Noun
The actor made a smooth crossover to politics.
a rock musician's crossovers into jazz and soul music
Recent Examples on the Web
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Riviera Country Club, host of The Genesis, is another crossover course to Doral, and Hideki won The Genesis in 2023.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Tetris Kelly, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
Police believe an eastbound semi was doing a U-turn through the crossover because of a closure caused by the earlier crash.
—Justin L. MacK, The Indianapolis Star, 24 May 2020
Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Her Hulu compatriot Ann Dowd — who won this award back in 2017 and was nominated twice more after that — could be back as her Handmaid’s Tale character crosses over to The Testaments.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crossover
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Noun
Johnson had Towns isolated at the top of the key and turned a between-the-legs crossover into a hesitation drive down the middle of the lane.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Riviera Country Club, host of The Genesis, is another crossover course to Doral, and Hideki won The Genesis in 2023.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
From the sticky-sweet lyrics to the colorfully choreographed music video, the song catapulted the already massively popular group to new levels of crossover American success.
—Tetris Kelly, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
Police believe an eastbound semi was doing a U-turn through the crossover because of a closure caused by the earlier crash.
—Justin L. MacK, The Indianapolis Star, 24 May 2020
Verb
In 2021, an elevated overpass on a Mexico City metro line collapsed onto a road, killing 26 people and injuring dozens just as a subway train was crossing over the section.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Her Hulu compatriot Ann Dowd — who won this award back in 2017 and was nominated twice more after that — could be back as her Handmaid’s Tale character crosses over to The Testaments.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crossover
Cite this Entry
“Crossover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crossover. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
crossover
1 of 2 noun
cross·over
ˈkrȯ-ˌsō-vər
1
: an instance or product of genetic crossing-over
2
: a crossover interchange in an experiment
crossover
2 of 2 adjective
: involving or using interchange of the control group and the experimental group during the course of an experiment
an open-label crossover study
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