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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cross section
To get past labor shortages, its leaders have hired from a cross section of related fields rather than focusing solely on PhD physicists.
—
Justin Worland, Time, 17 July 2025
For several weeks, Cook and clergy members from a cross section of religions have been showing up at courtrooms in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego to stand with immigrants during their deportation hearings.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
It’s been 17 years since tainted blood thinner from China injured or killed hundreds of people in the United States, and since then, contaminants and other defects have appeared in a cross section of America’s generic drugs.
—Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 17 June 2025
The hosts included the actress Rowan Blanchard, the left-wing podcasters of Chapo Trap House and the owners of the artsy Lower East Side boutique Café Forgot — a cross section of celebrities, niche media figures and Lower Manhattan trendsetters devised to draw out other cliquish culture makers.
—Joseph Bernstein, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cross section
Justin Worland, Time, 17 July 2025
For several weeks, Cook and clergy members from a cross section of religions have been showing up at courtrooms in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego to stand with immigrants during their deportation hearings.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
It’s been 17 years since tainted blood thinner from China injured or killed hundreds of people in the United States, and since then, contaminants and other defects have appeared in a cross section of America’s generic drugs.
—Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 17 June 2025
The hosts included the actress Rowan Blanchard, the left-wing podcasters of Chapo Trap House and the owners of the artsy Lower East Side boutique Café Forgot — a cross section of celebrities, niche media figures and Lower Manhattan trendsetters devised to draw out other cliquish culture makers.
—Joseph Bernstein, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cross section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cross section
Noun
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Here’s a sampling of places within several miles of Saint John’s Resort and The Cardinal golf course.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Researchers believe that this work will inspire further re-analysis of legacy materials, especially those held in museum collections where sampling is limited and earlier tests proved inconclusive.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While a small sample size, Dobbins is one of thirteen running backs since 2000 to average at least 5.2 yards per attempt.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Bonafide, which had decorated the event space with colorful displays of its products, shared samples from its own toolbox, the hormone-free vaginal moisturizer Revaree, with attendees.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cross section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cross%20section. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
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