the sign of the cross

noun phrase

: a movement of the hand that forms a cross shape and that is done as an expression of the Christian faith
She knelt and made the sign of the cross.

Examples of the sign of the cross in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Clad in a purple jersey and shorts, a misty-eyed Ochoa made the sign of the cross and high-fived a handful of teammates. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 28 June 2026 The man next to me makes the sign of the cross on arrival. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026 The Dominican guy puts the sign of the cross on the plate — ‘In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ — and his hips are so crazy, the whole stadium is pregnant. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 10 June 2026 We’re reminded of an incident at Wrigley Field this week, when a Cubs fan caught on the big screen an Astros player doing the sign of the cross in the pivotal ninth inning. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for the sign of the cross

Rhymes for the sign of the cross

See All Rhymes for the sign of the cross

Browse Nearby Words

the sick and dying
the sign of the cross
the silent majority
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The sign of the cross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sign%20of%20the%20cross. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All