cross purposes
Definition
Noun (plural only): "Cross purposes" refers to situations where two or more people misunderstand each other's intentions or goals, often leading to confusion or conflict because they are working against each other without realizing it.
Usage Examples
- (They had conflicting aims without knowing it.)
- (We misunderstood each other's understanding of the timeline.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be at cross purposes": to have a misunderstanding where each party believes they are pursuing the same goal, but in reality they have conflicting intentions.
- The manager and the employee were at cross purposes regarding the new policy. (They had different interpretations of the policy.)
Variants and Related Words
- Cross-purposed (adj): characterized by conflicting aims or misunderstandings.
- The cross-purposed discussions led to a delay in the decision. (The talks were filled with misunderstandings.)
Synonyms
- Misunderstanding: a failure to understand something correctly.
- Miscommunication: unclear or incorrect exchange of information.
- Conflicting aims: goals that oppose each other.
Related Idioms
- At loggerheads: in strong disagreement or dispute.
- The two parties were at loggerheads over the contract terms. (They were in direct conflict.)
- Talking past each other: failing to communicate effectively because each person is focused on their own point of view.
- They were talking past each other during the debate. (They did not address each other's arguments.)