verb

• 1Question (a witness called by the other party) in a court of law to challenge or extend testimony already given.

  Compare with examination-in-chief

  ‘he would decline to cross-examine the prosecution witness’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Her counsel also suggests, in cross-examining a prosecution eye witness, Gary, that he had been high on heroin on the night of the alleged murder and that his account of events was not therefore reliable.’
  • ‘The prosecution even declined to cross-examine the last defense witness.’
  • ‘This ruling should also be clear that I am not precluding the defence from cross-examining the third party on this issue.’
  • ‘He then attempted to cross-examine this key prosecution witness.’
  • ‘Witnesses may be cross-examined by the defendant and the presenter.’
  • ‘Politics, however, cannot be kept out of the trial without abandoning some fundamentals of the rule of law, like allowing the defendant to cross-examine witnesses for the prosecution.’
  • ‘She had heard the entire prosecution case and her barrister had cross-examined all the witnesses produced on behalf of the Crown.’
  • ‘Then he went on to talk about the length of time that the Crown Prosecutor had cross-examined those witnesses who had been called by the appellant.’
  • ‘He said each state witness had been extensively cross-examined, and the court had no reason to rule any of them evasive or to doubt their veracity.’
  • ‘They are neutral observers who can challenge the prosecution and cross-examine witnesses.’
  • ‘Another point was that the co-accused's counsel cross-examined a number of witnesses to suggest that women generally were in fear of my client.’
  • ‘He certainly was cross-examined, this witness, and on this letter.’
  • ‘She rejected the alternative of an adjournment for what was said to be a further day or day and a half to enable witnesses to be cross-examined.’
  • ‘In fact, he did attend to cross-examine one further witness but otherwise took no active part in the proceedings thereafter.’
  • ‘He referred to how prosecution witnesses were cross-examined.’
  • ‘The case involved a woman who was denied legal aid having to cross-examine in court the man she alleged had physically abused her.’
  • ‘He would have known that his giving a name could lead to his being summonsed to court and to being cross-examined.’
  • ‘Witnesses were called and cross-examined, counsel addressed the jury, the judge summed up, and the jury convicted.’
  • ‘The appellant gave evidence and was cross-examined at length.’
  • ‘Witnesses will not be cross-examined during their first appearance before the tribunal.’

  Synonyms

  talk to, have a discussion with, have a dialogue with, hold a meeting with, confer with

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Question (someone) aggressively or in great detail.
     ‘I was cross-examined over the breakfast table’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Employing all the legalistic tricks of her trade, she probed and cross-examined me at breakfast and each evening.’
     • ‘The officer was cross-examined as to the detail of the conversation and conceded that the record in his notebook was far from full.’
     • ‘At times, it sounds like she is cross-examining him, although sometimes she is acknowledging she does have some fears about his alibis.’
     • ‘But think about all the damage that he was able to do by cross-examining these people.’
     • ‘It will be a real opportunity for the people of Swindon to ask the questions that matter to them and I am sure the good people of Swindon will cross-examine us.’
     • ‘At times it seems like he really is cross-examining him on just about every aspect of his alibi and why he told the lies he did.’
     • ‘After cross-examining me regarding my identity and my employer, he asked me to summarize the story.’
     • ‘Well, I've taken a look at how those girls were cross-examined.’
     • ‘These days guests are often cross-examined before their participation is confirmed to make sure that they will come out fighting.’
     • ‘He was not cross-examined as to what he meant by this.’
     • ‘If a Tory prime minister died in office the country could not wait for months while candidates were cross-examined in village halls.’
     • ‘But I would immediately cross-examine her on the nature of their relationship.’
     • ‘It was there that I was able to surreptitiously cross-examine these men.’
     • ‘They won't give out press conferences to give the media an opportunity to cross-examine their officials.’
     • ‘The mother is not a lawyer and she is not a policeman and it is very unlikely that she would have cross-examined her daughter about the detail of this incident.’
     • ‘We didn't even notice, but a Military Policeman discovered the substitution and cross-examined us.’
     • ‘That went down a bomb with the soldiers who searched my luggage and cross-examined me several times at Tel Aviv airport when I was leaving on New Year's Day.’
     Synonyms

     interrogate, question, cross-question, quiz, catechize

     View synonyms