Crisscross means to form a pattern of crossing lines, like when you lace your shoes and the strings cross back and forth over each other. You can see crisscross patterns on chain-link fences, in the way hiking trails cross through a forest, or in the lattice top of an apple pie.

It can work as a verb, adjective, or noun. Streets might crisscross through a city, creating intersections in all directions. A detective might draw lines that crisscross on a map, connecting different clues. You could describe the crisscross pattern on a waffle or the way palm fronds crisscross to make a thatched roof.

When people or things crisscross an area, they move back and forth across it repeatedly. A mail carrier might crisscross the neighborhood all day, walking up one street and down another. During hide-and-seek, players might crisscross through the yard searching for the perfect hiding spot. The key idea is movement or lines that cross each other multiple times, creating an X or intersecting pattern rather than running parallel.