crossing

1 of 2

noun

cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ How to pronounce crossing (audio)
Synonyms of crossingnext
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

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Chinese authorities said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were unaccounted for in Tibet, near a key border crossing with Nepal. — James Powel, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Before the bridge was built, there were crossing options — none of them great. — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026 Eiffela Broken Dream splits the Eiffel Tower into two sections, with a cable stretched between them for a tightrope crossing. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 On the Chinese side of the border, in the autonomous region of Tibet, the deluge overwhelmed Gyirong Port, a major border crossing with Nepal that, in scenes reminiscent of a disaster movie, appears to have been completely washed away. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crossing

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crossing was in 1575

Phrases Containing crossing

Rhymes for crossing

See All Rhymes for crossing

Browse Nearby Words

cross infection
crossing
crossing file
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crossing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crossing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

crossing

noun
cross·​ing ˈkrȯ-siŋ How to pronounce crossing (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All