traversing over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "traversing over" is not considered correct in standard written English.
The word "traversing" already implies movement across or through something, making "over" redundant. Example: "The hikers were traversing the mountain trail with great care."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

"Wild-land firefighting, as anybody understands, it's a military operation," said Mr. Doe, listing the skills required: "communications, traversing over terrain with lots of equipment on your back, using chain saws".

The New York Times - Science

The knowledge on vehicle stability, ride comfort and performance is critically significant on off-road vehicle traversing over irregular terrains.

Measurement

The term point lock means that the points in a route will not be able to change their positions when a train is traversing over it.

Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling

Generally, the 6WD prime mover showed in the range of 5.27 45.81% reduction in the engine power requirements than the 4WD prime mover having equal size and weight configurations when traversing over the four different soil classifications.

Journal of Terramechanics

The findings will serve future studies as a functional source to develop improved vehicle designs to interact with differently shaped obstacles and various operational conditions for run-off-road vehicles traversing over irregularities.

Measurement

At present, the Delhi Metro is operational on six lines where more than 2500 train trips are made each day traversing over 69000 km in a day.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

He used cloths and netting as stencils to achieve textures described by John Russell of The New York Times in 1978 as having a "worked-over look that suggests that the painting has been traversed over and over by a very small truck that has just had its tires retreaded".

The New York Times

Those questions will be asked again and again, explored, traversed over and over, through the life experiences of the person who houses that soul.

Huffington Post

Fully inspired, we traversed over the moguls course, on the Champions run, which was open.

The New York Times - Travel

The team of volunteers said that when they reached the site earlier this summer, having traversed over 2,000 miles through the Siberian taiga forest, they found it had been ransacked by treasure hunters.

Independent

Range is considered to be taken as the sum of the distance traversed over the crooked path (track), whereas the net projection measured along the initial direction of motion is known as the penetration.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the word "traversing" alone; it already implies movement across or through something. For example, instead of "traversing over the bridge", write "traversing the bridge".

Common error

Avoid using "over" after "traversing" as it creates redundancy. "Traverse" already means to move across or through, so adding "over" is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect. The best alternative depends on the context, but often no additional preposition is required.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "traversing over" functions as a prepositional phrase, but its use is generally considered redundant. According to Ludwig, the word "traversing" already implies movement across or through, making the addition of "over" unnecessary.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "traversing over" is generally considered grammatically incorrect due to redundancy. As highlighted by Ludwig, "traversing" already implies movement across something. While it appears in various contexts, including science, news, and wiki sources, it is best to avoid using "over" after "traversing". Instead, opt for simpler alternatives like "crossing" or "navigating", depending on the specific context. While relatively uncommon, the phrase's presence warrants awareness of its improper usage. Relying on authoritative sources can improve clarity and precision in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

crossing

This alternative provides a simpler and more direct way to express the action of moving across something.

passing over

This alternative describes the act of moving from one side of something to another, often implying a brief contact or presence.

navigating

This alternative emphasizes the skill or effort required to move through or across something, particularly a complex environment.

moving across

This is a more descriptive alternative, explicitly stating the direction of movement.

traveling across

Similar to "moving across", but it implies a longer distance or journey.

going across

This is a very basic and straightforward way to describe the action of moving from one side to the other.

spanning

This alternative is suitable when referring to something that extends across a distance or area.

ranging across

This alternative highlights the act of extending or varying throughout a range.

plying

This alternative implies frequent and regular movement across a space or route.

transiting

A formal alternative to simply passing across something.

FAQs

Why is "traversing over" considered grammatically incorrect?

The word "traversing" already encompasses the idea of moving across or through something. Adding "over" is redundant and creates an unnecessary prepositional phrase. It's similar to saying "ascending up" or "descending down".

What's a simple way to correct the phrase "traversing over"?

Simply remove the word "over". For example, change "The hikers were traversing over the mountain" to "The hikers were traversing the mountain."

What are some alternatives to "traversing over" that might fit better in certain contexts?

Depending on the specific context, you could use alternatives such as "crossing", "navigating", or "passing over".

Is there ever a situation where using "over" with a form of "traverse" is correct?

While "traversing over" is typically redundant, phrases like "traveling over" are grammatically sound because "traveling" doesn't inherently imply movement across something as "traversing" does. It is all about choosing the right word based on the context and ensuring that it does not create a redundancy.