crash-land

American

[krash-land] / ˈkræʃˈlænd /

verb (used with object)

to land (an aircraft), under circumstances in which a normal landing land is impossible, in such a way that damage to the aircraft is unavoidable.

verb (used without object)

to crash-land an aircraft.

crash-land British

verb

to land (an aircraft) in an emergency causing damage or (of an aircraft) to land in this way

"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

Other Word Forms

crash-landing noun

Etymology

Origin of crash-land

First recorded in 1940–45; crash ¹ + land

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.

With just enough fuel left to get them to the ground, Valentina and Polina managed to crash-land the Rodina in one piece.

From Literature

They’re made out of some kind of astronaut plastic that could crash-land on Venus and not break.

From Literature

Everyone agreed that only Masha’s plane had been on fire—surely the others had managed to crash-land safely somewhere?

From Literature

He hatched a scheme to fly a small airplane to Tibet, crash-land it on the flanks of Everest, and proceed to the summit from there.

From Literature

Both characters are humanoids from faraway planets who crash-land on Earth.

From New York Times

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