clashed; clashing; clashes
1
: to make a clash
cymbals clashed
2
: to come into conflict
where ignorant armies clash by night—
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
also
: to be incompatible
the colors clashed
: to cause to clash
clasher
noun
1
: a noisy usually metallic sound of collision
2
a
: a hostile encounter : skirmish
b
: a sharp conflict
a clash of opinions
Synonyms
Examples of clash in a Sentence
Verb
Police and protesters clashed yesterday.
The sofa and the chair clash.
She ended the song by clashing the cymbals.
Noun
Hundreds were killed in ethnic clashes in the region last month.
a clash between rival gangs that resulted in some serious injuries
Recent Examples on the WebDavid Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Cultures clash and their relationship is threatened when Rachel meets the ire of Nick's stern mother, Eleanor.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday evening, as some protesters clashed with police in the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, Zourabichvili said the bill was evidence of Russian meddling.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Israel-Iran clash Analysis: Can both sides declare victory in Iran-Israel clash?
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The Royals finished second in 1979, and Herzog, who had clashed with owner Ewing Kauffman, was fired after the season.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
As Union and Confederate armies clashed in a bloody fourth year of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln tasked one man to create the legal code for Arizona, almost 50 years before the territory became a state.
—Christine Fernando, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
If Iran and Israel do continue to clash, U.S. motorists could expect to see an impact on gas prices almost instantly.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
As betrayal mounts and forbidden desires clash with societal norms, the struggle for pre-independent India’s freedom comes to a boiling point.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Perun was determined to avoid a direct clash with those soldiers.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
With a chance to repeat as national champion on the line for UConn, anticipation for a heavyweight clash between two No. 1 seeds is at a fever pitch.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
None of which means that the two sides are certain to avoid a climactic clash.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The overnight clashes between the Jaish al-Adl group and security forces took place in the towns of Chabahar and Rask, state TV said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The Studio Ghibli fantasy film has not caught up with Legendary Entertainment’s clash of the monsters at the cumulative level.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The 3-point line was corrected before the USC-Connecticut clash, but only after five games were played with the wrong marking, including USC-Baylor and N.C. State-Stanford.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Ever since the destructive clash between North and South 200 years ago, oceans have separated American homes from battlefields.
—EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
But Betts could also be moody and volatile; in 1976, he was arrested for drinking and clashing with police.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Cultures clash and their relationship is threatened when Rachel meets the ire of Nick's stern mother, Eleanor.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday evening, as some protesters clashed with police in the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, Zourabichvili said the bill was evidence of Russian meddling.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Israel-Iran clash Analysis: Can both sides declare victory in Iran-Israel clash?
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The Royals finished second in 1979, and Herzog, who had clashed with owner Ewing Kauffman, was fired after the season.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
As Union and Confederate armies clashed in a bloody fourth year of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln tasked one man to create the legal code for Arizona, almost 50 years before the territory became a state.
—Christine Fernando, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
If Iran and Israel do continue to clash, U.S. motorists could expect to see an impact on gas prices almost instantly.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
As betrayal mounts and forbidden desires clash with societal norms, the struggle for pre-independent India’s freedom comes to a boiling point.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
And speaking of that clash of worldviews, find someone who loves you like this show loves to ironically juxtapose scenes of despair or stylized, gory violence with upbeat or wistful Forties and Fifties pop songs.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Perun was determined to avoid a direct clash with those soldiers.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
With a chance to repeat as national champion on the line for UConn, anticipation for a heavyweight clash between two No. 1 seeds is at a fever pitch.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
None of which means that the two sides are certain to avoid a climactic clash.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The overnight clashes between the Jaish al-Adl group and security forces took place in the towns of Chabahar and Rask, state TV said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The Studio Ghibli fantasy film has not caught up with Legendary Entertainment’s clash of the monsters at the cumulative level.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The 3-point line was corrected before the USC-Connecticut clash, but only after five games were played with the wrong marking, including USC-Baylor and N.C. State-Stanford.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Ever since the destructive clash between North and South 200 years ago, oceans have separated American homes from battlefields.
—EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Clash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clash. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clash
1 of 2 verb1
: to make a clash
clashing cymbals
2
a
: to come into conflict
pickets clashed with the police
b
: to not match well
our ideas clashed
some colors clash
clasher
noun
clash
2 of 2 noun1
: a loud sharp sound usually of metal striking metal
the clash of swords
2
: a sharp fight or strong disagreement
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