come across

What does "come across" mean?

1. To find something or meet someone by chance
2. To give a particular impression to others
3. To be understood or communicated clearly

Examples

• I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.
• She comes across as very confident in meetings.
• I came across your email address in an old file.
• His message didn't come across clearly—people were confused.
• He comes across as arrogant, but he's actually quite shy.

How to use it

'Come across as' describes how someone appears to others. Be careful—this can differ from how someone actually is.

Similar expressions

Opposites

Related phrasal verbs

• come up

  To be mentioned or discussed

• come back

  To return to a place

• come out

  To become known or revealed

• come over

  To visit someone's home

• come in

  To enter a room, building, or place

• come down

  To decrease in price, level, or amount