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come across
verb
(preposition) to meet or find by accident
(adverb) (of a person or his or her words) to communicate the intended meaning or impression
(often foll by with) to provide what is expected
Idioms and Phrases
Also, come upon ; run across . Meet or find by chance, as in I came across your old letters today , or He came upon her looking in the store window . or If I run across it, I'll call you . The first term dates from the 1800s. The first variant was used by Oliver Goldsmith in She Stoops to Conquer (1773): “You are to go sideways till you come upon Crack-Skull Common.” The second variant was used by Mark Twain in Tramp Abroad (1880): “If I don't run across you in Italy, you hunt me up in London.”
Also, come across with . Pay or give what is expected or demanded, as in He finally came across with some food , or The landlord wants the rent, so come across . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
Make a particular impression, as in He comes across as a very sincere person or Her meaning doesn't really come across; she'll have to revise the speech . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s] Also see get across ; put across .
Example Sentences
He came across as entitled and arrogant, even though the context of this comment was merely in terms of his dealings with the media.
“But that’s not how it comes across. The fact of the matter is when Sally and I got together in the mid-‘80s, it was a little dangerous to be open.
She added: "I came across the ISM and they were asking people to come as observers. Just being there I think shows Palestinians they're not alone."
Some attorneys who practice immigration law say they are coming across scams that play out entirely online, allowing perpetrators to vanish before authorities even have a chance to investigate.
As she and other residents continued documenting, Meltzer came across a distraught woman who was the wife of the man the federal agents had just arrested.
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