cross out

verb

"cross-out" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cross out” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To strike out (something); to draw a line through (something).

Corpus desk

Index EN-cross-out · cross out · English

cross out · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for cross out
PropertyValue
Headwordcross out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cross out” in English

cross outsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cross out is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for cross out, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is cross out, spelled C-R-O-S-S- -O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strike out (something); to draw a line through (something).
  2. 2
    To disrespect (someone) by covering up or painting over their graffiti, especially their name.
  3. 3
    To lie to or betray (someone); to deceive or scam (someone).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how cross out appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. If you make a mistake, just cross it out.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cross out"?
"cross out" is spelled C-R-O-S-S- -O-U-T.
What does "cross out" mean?
As a verb, "cross out" means: To strike out (something); to draw a line through (something).
What language does "cross out" come from?
"cross out" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list