to find or meet something or someone by chance
to find something or meet someone when you were not looking for it
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
to find something by chance
"I ran across an old letter while cleaning the drawer."
I ran across this quote by chance and I had to share it.
— Common public-figure/social-media wording; exact source not reliably recalled
to meet someone unexpectedly
"I ran across my old math teacher at the station."
to run from one side to another across something
to find something or meet someone when you were not looking for it
Very common for accidental discovery of information, objects, and sometimes people. More common in American English than British English.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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