Meaning & use
cross off
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To draw a line through a name or item on a list to show it is finished or no longer needed.
Grammar: Takes an object, which can go before or after 'off': cross off the item / cross the item off.
Patterns
- cross off something
- cross something off
- cross something off a list
She crossed off each task as she finished it.
Cross my name off the list, please — I can't come.
He crossed off the last item and closed his notebook.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To remove someone or something from a list or group, often because they are no longer suitable.
Grammar: Often used with 'from': cross someone off from a list.
Patterns
- cross someone off something
- cross something off from something
The coach crossed him off the team after the injury.
That shop was crossed off our list of suppliers.
Word forms
| third person singular | crosses off |
|---|---|
| past tense | crossed off |
| past participle | crossed off |
| -ing form | crossing off |
Common combinations
- cross off a list
- She crossed off a list of chores one by one.
- cross a name off
- Please cross my name off the invitation list.
- cross off an item
- He crossed off an item from the shopping list.
- cross off as you go
- It helps to cross off as you go so you can see your progress.
- cross someone off from something
- They crossed him off from the guest list after he moved away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- check off
- Very close in meaning, but it often means marking with a tick rather than a line.
- tick off
- British English for marking items as done; can also mean to annoy someone.
- delete
- More general and more formal; it means removing text, not just marking a list item.
Opposites
Word family
- cross out phrasal verb
- to draw a line through written words to cancel them
- crossing noun
- a place where you can cross a road or river
Commonly confused: cross off or cross out? cross off or cross over?
cross off vs cross out
'Cross out' is for canceling written words or mistakes; 'cross off' is for marking items on a list as done or removing names.
cross off vs cross over
'Cross over' means to move to the other side; it does not involve lists.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'cross off' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The object pronoun goes between 'cross' and 'off': cross me off the list. The other options put the words in impossible orders.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cross off”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.