cross-purpose
Working against each other
Cross-purpose describes a situation where people are working toward conflicting aims, often without realizing it.
To be at cross-purposes is to misunderstand each other's intentions or to pursue incompatible goals: The departments were working at cross-purposes, each undoing the other's progress.
The phrase almost always appears in the plural.
Failure to grasp meaning
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- oppositionActive resistance or dissent
disagreement · friction · tension · incompatibility · discord · interference · obstruction · counterproductive
misunderstanding
Failure to grasp meaning
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
opposition · disagreement · friction · tension · incompatibility · discord · interference · obstruction · counterproductive · at odds
motive
Reason for action
goal · intention · design · plan · ulterior · hidden · underlying · reason · rationale · motivation
cross-purposecommon purpose
Goal held by many
concert · harmony · accord · cooperation · collaboration
cross-purposemutual understanding
Shared agreement between parties
meeting of minds · clear communication · same wavelength · on the same page · understanding
cross, purpose, crossed, crosses, crossing, crosser, crossly, purposes, purposed