noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   plural of cross-purpose form-of, plural
2. 2
   A conversational game, in which questions and answers are made so as to involve ludicrous combinations of ideas. dated, uncountable

   "I danced; and so till 12 at night, and to supper, and then to cross-purposes, mighty merry; and then to bed - my eyes being sore."

Synonyms

All synonyms

antagonismantipathyantithesisbad bloodcollisioncompetition

Example

More examples

"Tom, I think we're talking at cross-purposes."

Related phrases

at cross-purposes

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.