come across — find by chance
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To find or discover something or someone unexpectedly, without looking for it.
Say it like a native
Textbook I serendipitously encountered an old photograph.
Native I came across an old photo.
'Come across' is the everyday verb for finding something by chance; 'serendipitously encountered' is showy.
Pattern: come across + noun/pronoun
In use
- I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.daily life
- During my research, I came across several interesting articles that changed my perspective.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I came across with an interesting article.
✓ I came across an interesting article.
'Come across' takes the object directly — no 'with' (that changes the meaning).
Common collocations
come across + find— an old photo, a great article, a word, something useful
Don't confuse it
'Come across' is different from 'find' because it means you weren't looking for it.
Related
- come across (seem or give an impression) — Another meaning of 'come across' is 'seem or give an impression'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.