1 A2 neutral
To draw a line through written or printed text to indicate it is incorrect or should be disregarded.
"The teacher crossed out all the spelling mistakes in red pen."
separable
cross out
A2 neutral separable transitive
To draw a line through a word or piece of text to show it is wrong, should be ignored, or has been removed.
In plain English
To put a line through a word you wrote to show it's wrong or you don't want it anymore.
What does "cross out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To remove a name or entry from a document, especially to show someone or something is no longer included.
"Someone had crossed out the original price and written a lower one by hand."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To draw a cross or line outward across a word, making it 'out' of the text.
Actually means
To put a line through a word you wrote to show it's wrong or you don't want it anymore.
Usage tip
Common in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. Unlike 'cross off', 'cross out' focuses on correcting errors or removing specific words/phrases rather than completing list items. The crossed-out text typically remains legible.
Words that pair with "cross out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
word sentence mistake name paragraph answer
How to conjugate "cross out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cross out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
crosses out
he/she/it
Past simple
crossed out
yesterday
Past participle
crossed out
have + pp
-ing form
crossing out
continuous
Hear "cross out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "cross out"
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Keep exploring
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