criss-cross

criss-cross — verb

IPA/ˈkrɪs krɒs/
KK[krˈɪskrˈɔs]IPA/ˈkrɪs krɔːs/
  • criss-crosspresent simple I / you / we / they
  • criss-crosseshe / she / it
  • criss-crossedpast simple
  • criss-crossing-ing form

1. to move across an area in many different directions so that the paths you take f

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to move across an area in many different directions so that the paths you take form a crossing pattern — for example, walking back and forth across a field to search for something, or travelling repeatedly through a region along different routes

Example

Ryo criss-crossed the empty parking lot, searching for his lost keys.

transitive: criss-cross + area for searching

Ancient footpaths criss-cross the hills behind the village.

intransitive use: paths criss-cross an area

Common collocations
  • criss-cross a field / city / valley / forest / countryside
  • roads / paths / trails / canals / streams criss-cross something
  • cracks / lines / tyre tracks criss-cross a surface
Synonyms
  • intersect

    more precise for lines meeting at a single point; does not imply many lines in different directions

  • weave

    suggests an intricate, twisting path through obstacles rather than a pattern of crossing lines

  • traverse

    focuses on crossing a space from one side to the other, not on the back-and-forth pattern

Antonyms
  • run parallel to

    describes lines or paths that stay the same distance apart and never cross

Grammar Patterns

criss-cross + noun phrase (area, place, surface)

criss-cross + across / through / over + noun phrase

noun phrase + criss-cross (intransitive)

Usage Note

Commonly used transitively (criss-cross + area). The intransitive pattern (paths/lines criss-cross across something) is also natural. This sense can describe literal movement across a space or the static arrangement of lines (roads, cracks, streams) that cross one another.

Common Mistakes

The roads criss-cross each other in the city centre.
The roads criss-cross the city centre.
'each other' is unnecessary because the verb already implies mutual crossing.

criss-cross — adjective

IPA/ˈkrɪs.krɒs/
KK[krˈɪskrˈɔs]IPA/ˈkrɪs.krɑːs/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Criss-cross, intersect, weave, and traverse all describe movement or arrangement in relation to crossing, but they differ in scope and focus. Intersect is the most precise: it describes two lines meeting at a point, whether once or many times, but it does not imply multiple crossings in different directions. Weave shifts the focus to a twisting, meandering path through obstacles — like weaving through traffic or weaving between trees — and does not necessarily involve crossing lines. Traverse is the simplest: it means to travel across an area from one side to the other, without any sense of back-and-forth or multiple directions. Criss-cross combines all three ideas: movement in many directions, repeated crossing, and the resulting network of lines. For example: 'The search party criss-crossed the forest for hours' (many directions, overlapping paths) versus 'The trail traverses the forest in a single straight line' (one path, one direction) or 'The hikers weaved between the boulders' (twisting around obstacles, not crossing).

intersect ↗weave ↗traverse ↗criss-cross ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • criss-cross pattern
  • criss-cross design
  • criss-cross lines
  • criss-cross network

Prepositions

Etymology

Medieval EnglishEnglish

Originates from 'Christ-cross', the cross of Christ, which appeared at the beginning of medieval alphabet charts. By the 1600s, the term was used to describe a pattern of crossed lines, and the spelling shifted to 'criss-cross' under the influence of the word 'cross'. The spelling variant 'crisscross' (without a hyphen) is also common in modern English.