as in sampling
a number of things selected from a group to stand for the whole
a television ratings service that monitors the viewing of a representative cross section of the general population
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Recent Examples of cross section
As our automotive editor Viju Mathew and longtime contributor Robert Ross note, the 2026 class brought together a sweeping cross section of categories and power trains—the kind of variety that has become a defining feature of Car of the Year.
—
John Vorwald, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2026
Pretti’s killing, in particular, struck a chord of dismay with a cross section of Americans.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The citywide pass The plays in the citywide pass offer an exciting cross section of what makes Ijames’s work so vibrant.
—Bess Rowen, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Such a massive resort—with such a multitude of offerings—lends itself to a cross section of guests, including a good chunk of business travelers thanks to a whopping 300,000 square feet of event space and a calendar packed with conferences.
—Lizbeth Scordo, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cross section
John Vorwald, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2026
Pretti’s killing, in particular, struck a chord of dismay with a cross section of Americans.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The citywide pass The plays in the citywide pass offer an exciting cross section of what makes Ijames’s work so vibrant.
—Bess Rowen, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Such a massive resort—with such a multitude of offerings—lends itself to a cross section of guests, including a good chunk of business travelers thanks to a whopping 300,000 square feet of event space and a calendar packed with conferences.
—Lizbeth Scordo, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cross section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cross section
Noun
-
The bill requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to develop minimum sampling, testing and chemical screening levels by June 30, 2027.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Guests experienced the unexpected pairing of CHEETOS FLAMIN’ HOT and dill pickle through product sampling, custom cocktails, fan-favorite arcade games, karaoke battles, and a high-energy dancefloor soundtracked by Loud Luxury’s signature mashups.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The same homeowner, according to law enforcement, may be connected to another property in California where detectives in 2022 found a cache of hundreds of samples marked HIV, TB, malaria, COVID, and Ebola, as well as thousands of lab mice.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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Those samples were added to that database.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cross section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cross%20section. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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