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Glite Dictionary
to cross paths

to cross paths

32 3.7
Meet someone by chance
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : cruzarse con
  • The two of them were to again cross paths later in 1992.

Again, no spoilers, but somehow these two cross paths and chaos ensues.

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Examples

  • I was hoping we would cross paths again.

    Waiting on Mary (2016)

  • I crossed paths with a few of them in Afghanistan.

    Intensive Care (2020)

  • And we'll probably cross paths soon in the future.

  • I have been looking forward to this and hoping that we might cross paths for such a long time.

  • Yeah, I crossed paths with him a number of times.

    The King of Staten Island (2020)

  • We first crossed paths years ago.

    Hellboy (2019)

  • Odd as it may sound, I'm glad Mrs. J and I crossed paths.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • As luck would have it, I crossed paths with the true ally.

    Stanford

  • Two years, I crossed paths with Mudcatt on several occasions, usually at dinner parties.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I was surprised when we crossed paths after all these years.

Synonyms

to run into
vsto cross paths
338 2.7

Meet someone by chance without planning

means meeting someone unexpectedly but without stressing suddenness
to come across
vsto cross paths
244 2.6

To find something or someone by chance

focuses on meeting people rather than finding objects
to walk into
vsto cross paths
211 3.5

To accidentally become involved in a situation you did not plan

means to meet someone unexpectedly rather than be involved in situations
to bump into
vsto cross paths
55 2.2

To meet someone by chance in a public place

is neutral and not specifically informal or public
to come upon
vsto cross paths
50 2.2

To find something or someone by chance

is more about meeting people than general accidental discovery
to run across
vsto cross paths
43 2.7

Find something by chance while doing something else

is about meeting people unexpectedly rather than incidental discovery
to happen upon
vsto cross paths
15 4.9

Find a person or thing by chance

centres on meeting people rather than general accidental finding
to chance upon
vsto cross paths
3 5.1

Find someone or something by accident

is focused on meeting people rather than accidental discovery
to cross one's path
vsto cross paths
4.2

To meet someone unexpectedly, often by chance

is identical in meaning but uses a different phrasing

Antonyms

to avoid
∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

How Unexpected

to cross paths
  • Informal
32 3.7
to run into
338 2.7
encounter
215 3.1
to meet
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

cross paths infinitive
crossed paths past
crossed paths past participle
crossing paths present participle
crosses paths third person singular

Morphology

cross + path

The meaning 'to meet or encounter someone' is directly derivable from combining 'cross' (to move from one side to another) with 'path(s)' (routes); if two paths cross, the people on them meet. This spatial-intersection metaphor is common cross-linguistically and follows a clear compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb cross paths may come from the simple image of two people walking on different paths that briefly cross each other. So it now means 'to meet or run into someone, often by chance'.