atravesar

to cross

verb ah-trah-beh-SAHR Less Common

Also means

to go through

Usage Note

Atravesar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie): atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa. It implies crossing or passing through something from one side to the other — a tunnel, a crisis, a difficult period. It is more emphatic than cruzar: cruzar la calle (to cross the street) vs atravesar el desierto (to cross/traverse the desert). Figuratively, atravesar una crisis means to go through a crisis.

Examples

"Atravesaron el desierto en tres días."

Natural Translation

They crossed the desert in three days.

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