across */*/*/

UK [əˈkrɒs] / US [əˈkrɔs] adverb, preposition

Summary:

Across can be used in the following ways: - as a preposition (followed by a noun): I walked across the road. - as an adverb (without a following noun): Our host hurried across to meet us.

1) from one side to the other

a) moving or looking from one side of a place, space, or line to the other

Over 70 airlines fly across the Atlantic between Europe and North America.

Barbara stared across the room at her husband.

The children ran straight across in front of our car.

b) reaching from one side of a space or surface to the other

Max's body lay across the doorway where he had fallen.

There are four bridges across the River Danube.

He stood in silence with his arms folded across his chest.

c) used for showing the width of something

one mile/two metres etc across:

The channel is less than half a mile across in some places.

2) on the opposite side on the opposite side of a road, river, line etc

There's a bus stop just across the road.

They had opened a new factory across the border in Mexico.

across from:

I'm staying at a little hotel just across from the Libyan Embassy.

3) in a large part of an area or surface

a) in many parts of an area or country

an insurance company that has over 120 offices across Europe

right across (= in every part of an area):

There are 20 million landmines scattered right across the region.

b) used for saying that something hits or affects a large area of a part of your body

Julia felt a burning pain across her forehead.

He struck me a blow across the shoulders.

c) used for saying that something spreads until it covers the whole of an area or surface

There is a danger of the conflict spreading across the whole of Central Africa.

A broad smile spread across the old man's face.

4) including a large range of people or things used for saying that something includes or affects a whole range of people or things

We need to test students' ability across a wide range of subjects.

The figures show that across the economy as a whole there has been steady growth.