Commonly confused
Come across vs Come by
“Come across” and “Come by” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is the quick way to tell them apart — with examples, the mistake to avoid, and a check.
Which one do you mean?
Both can mean find, but come across is by chance and come by is harder to obtain. Come across = stumble upon; come by = get hold of (often with effort), or pay a short visit.
Come across
Find something by chance, or give a certain impression.
Come by
Obtain something hard to get, or pay a short visit.
come across
- 1
Find or meet someone or something by chance
- 2
Give a particular impression to others
- 3
Be expressed clearly enough for people to notice or understand
Correct use
“I came across an old letter.”
I found an old letter by chance.
come by
- 1
Pay a brief visit to someone
- 2
Get or find something, often when it is difficult
Correct use
“Come by for a coffee.”
Drop in briefly for a coffee.
Common mistake
Good jobs are hard to come across these days.
Good jobs are hard to come by these days.
For something difficult to obtain, use come by.
Test yourself
“I came across an old letter.” What does it mean?
More pairs to tell apart
Sink In — iOS & Android
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic instead of a guess.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
