collide

American

[kuh-lahyd] / kəˈlaɪd /

verb (used without object)

collided, colliding

to strike one another or one against the other with a forceful impact; come into violent contact; crash.

The two cars collided with an ear-splitting crash.

Synonyms:

clash, smash, hit
to clash; conflict.

Their views on the matter collided.

verb (used with object)

collided, colliding

to cause to collide.

drivers colliding their cars in a demolition derby.

collide British

/ kəˈlaɪd /

verb

to crash together with a violent impact
to conflict in attitude, opinion, or desire; clash; disagree

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of collide

1615–25; < Latin collīdere to strike together, equivalent to col- col- ¹ + -līdere, combining form of laedere to strike

Explanation

It could be protons bouncing around in a particle accelerator, two cars failing to stop at an intersection, or the priorities of two people with very different goals. When things crash together, they collide. The verb collide has roots in the Latin word collidere, which comes from col- or “together” and laedere, “to strike or damage," like planes that collide in midair. Collide can also describe ideas that clash, such as expectations that collide with reality or radical views that collide with tradition.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Trouble begins when losses collide with fragile funding structures.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The sun’s mass makes it a gravity-powered fusion reactor, but on Earth, scientists need other ways to create plasma—a superheated, electrically charged gas—and confine it to force atoms to collide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Inside the chamber, ions collide with gas molecules, slow down, and move randomly.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

“One Piece” unfolds in an alternate past where futuristic technology, classic pirate imagery and fantasy collide.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

We collide with the chain-link fence, but rather than busting through it, it holds...and then I realize it’s slowly bending forward.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023