The phrasal verb 'run across' is commonly used in informal contexts and does not typically appear in formal writing or speech. It generally means to encounter or find something or someone by chance, often when it is unexpected. For example, one might say, "I ran across an old friend at the market yesterday," indicating a surprise meeting. This expression is widely used in everyday conversations to describe accidental discoveries or meetings. It conveys a sense of serendipity and is more frequently used in spoken dialogue and casual writing than in formal documentation or professional settings.
B1
PreIntermediate
1. To meet or find someone or something by chance.
I ran across an old friend while I was shopping downtown.
She ran across a rare book at the second-hand store.
I ran across some interesting statistics in the report.
We ran across a quaint little café on our walk.
He's always running across unusual items at the flea market.