Meaning & use

traverse

verb·Academic

To travel across or through an area, especially one that is difficult.

See it in a sentence

The hikers traversed the rocky ridge before setting up camp for the night.

The novel traverses three generations of a single family living through war.

A note on using this word

Used both for physical movement across terrain and figuratively for moving through time, topics, or stages.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A route or movement across a slope or difficult terrain, especially in climbing.

The climbers planned a long traverse across the north face before the final ascent.

Make it your own

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