As it turned out, the itinerary was disconcertingly illogical, involving criss-crossing America in anything but a straight line.
Source: wiktionary
Crisscross
/ˈkɹɪsˌkɹɒs/
Synonyms for "crisscross" (124 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (25)
Noun(3 words)
acrossacross the grainankhathwartathwartshipsavellan crossbarcalvary crosschichi-rhochiasmalchiasmicchiasticchristcrosschristogramcontrariwisecontrawisecrosscross ancrecross botonee
Show 1 more word
cross bourdonee
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (37)
cross fitchecross fleurycross formeecross fourcheecross grainedcross grignoleecross molinecross of clevescross of lorrainecross pateecross recerceleecross-crossletcross-grainedcrossbarcrossbonescrosscutcrossedcrossingcrossletcrossway
Noun(3 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (62)
daggerdecussatedecussatedexexingfork crossgammadiongreek crossintercrossintersectintersectedintersectinginverted crossjerusalem crosslatin crosslie acrosslong crossmaltese crossobliquelyoverthwart
Show 21 more words
papal crosspectoral crosspotent crossroodrussian crosssaltiresecantsidewayssidewiseswastikattauthwartthwartlythwartwaystransversetransverselytraversetrefled crossvoided crossx
Noun(19 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cross, across, across the grain, ankh, athwart.
- Sentence evidence is available for crisscross, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "crisscross".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "crisscross"
Keep "crisscross" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "crisscross" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "crisscross", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "crisscross" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
24 entriesShowing 16 of 24 words.
More specific
22 entriesbacktrackingbraidingbus networkchevron patterncrisscross bindingcrisscross gridcrisscross lacingcrisscross latticecrisscross stitchingcrisscross weavecrosshatchcrosshatchinggrid patterngridworkhatchworkinterlacing
Showing 16 of 22 words.
Collocations
11 entriescrisscross datacrisscross designcrisscross gridcrisscross latticecrisscross linescrisscross motifcrisscross networkcrisscross patterncrisscross routescrisscross weavecrisscross weaving
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
6 total sentences available.
He told me about all the odd jobs he'd taken after I was born, when Michigan's economy was tanking. For one, he crisscrossed the Midwest buying old carpets from dentists' offices.
Source: wiktionary
Throughout this period, and beyond, into the rest of the battle, aircraft of various types and loadouts are crisscrossing the skies in desperate harassment attacks, with the pilots having to play constant games of "guess the carrier" to decide where to land as escort carriers are hit, sunk, disappear in columns of shell splashes, or are forced to evade at angles to the wind that make landing on them impossible.
Source: wiktionary
We reach the first barrier, which is like the barriers blocking off roadworks, or dug-up sewers: a wooden crisscross painted in yellow and black stripes, a red hexagon which means Stop.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 6 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "crisscross"?
Closest matches include cross, across, across the grain, ankh, athwart.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "crisscross"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.