crashed; crashing; crashes
1
a
: to break violently and noisily : smash
b
: to damage (an airplane) in landing
2
a
: to cause to make a loud noise
crash the cymbals together
b
: to force (one's way) through with loud crashing noises
3
: to enter or attend without invitation or without paying
crash the party
4
: to move toward aggressively (as in fighting for a rebound)
basketball players crashing the boards
5
: to cause (a computer system, component, or program) to crash
1
a
: to break or go to pieces with or as if with violence and noise
b
: to fall, land, or hit with destructive force
c
: to decline suddenly and steeply
d
of a computer system, component, or program
: to suffer a sudden major failure usually with attendant loss of data
2
: to make a smashing noise
thunder crashing overhead
3
: to move or force one's way with or as if with a crash
crashes into the room
4
slang
: to experience the aftereffects (such as fatigue, irritability, headache, or depression) of a physiologically or psychologically active substance
Prolonged use of cocaine—repeatedly cycles of euphoria, crashing, and craving—probably brings about changes in the postsynaptic neurons …—
Robert Wilbur
Robert WilburCrashing from a sugar high never helped anyone remain awake all night.—Justin Rocket Silverman
Justin Rocket Silverman5
informal
a
: to go to bed or fall asleep
b
: to lose energy : to become very fatigued
It happens every afternoon like clockwork … I'm crashing, my body says. I need salt. Sugar. Fat. Now.—James Oseland
James Oseland
crasher
noun
1
: a loud sound (as of things smashing)
a crash of thunder
2
a
: a breaking to pieces by or as if by collision
b
: an instance of crashing
a plane crash
a system crash
3
: a sudden decline (as of a population) or failure (as of a business)
a stock market crash
4
informal
: the sudden, powerful occurrence of adverse aftereffects (such as fatigue, irritability, headache, or depression) following the use of a physiologically or psychologically active substance
… the jitters, euphoria and eventual crash that come after caffeine or amphetamines.—Graham Lawton
Graham LawtonWhen it comes to snacks, bars can have a nutritional edge over candy. Many are lower in fat and sugars. And some bars might be less likely to cause sugar rushes followed by crashes.—Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
: marked by a concerted effort and effected in the shortest possible time especially to meet emergency conditions
a crash renovation program
: a coarse fabric used for draperies, toweling, and clothing and for strengthening joints of cased-in books
Synonyms
Examples of crash in a Sentence
Verb
She crashed the car into a tree, but no one was hurt.
He has crashed two cars, a truck, and a motorcycle.
We listened to the waves crashing against the shore.
The stuntman crashed through the window on a motorcycle.
The walls crashed down around them.
The books crashed to the floor.
The cymbals crashed and the trumpets blew.
Thunder crashed as the rain started to pour.
He crashed the cymbals together.
Recent Examples on the WebKathleen Wong, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said an 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother died in the crash when a 66-year-old woman crashed 25 feet into the building at about 3 p.m. at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles south of Detroit.
—CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Briana Day, 30, pleaded no contest to drunk driving causing injury in the July 30, 2022, crashed that killed 27-year-old Maricarmen Leon.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The attack came less 24 hours after an argument among passengers resulted in the stabbing of a 70-year-old man on a bus in Silver Lake and less than a month after another man hijacked and crashed a bus in downtown Los Angeles.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
According to a news release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Anthony Joseph Maiorana was driving back from a baseball game with his wife Megan Maiorana, on Friday, March 22, when their car crashed into a lake.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors have alleged the teen defendant, who was 13 at the time, stole his family’s sport utility vehicle for a joyride and led police officers in a chase before the SUV crashed into the car carrying Tina Vital, 43, and Adalina Lilah Perez, 4.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
According to investigators, the motorcycle was driving south at a high rate of speed and crashed into the back of a Ford F-150 that was pulling onto the street from a public driveway, Grieshaber said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
Towering trees, crashing waves Trinidad is just a half hour south of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, one of the four parks that make up Redwood National and State Parks.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023
The crash scene of the Lockerbie bombing, from left; 1988, and 2018.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2022
Paltrow's attorneys have disputed the extent of Sanderson's injuries and post-crash disorientation, but both sides say the collision resulted in Sanderson's four broken ribs and a concussion.
—Sam Metz, ajc, 28 Mar. 2023
Paltrow's attorneys questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson's downturn wasn't a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions.
—Sam Metz, ajc, 24 Mar. 2023
Keeps you focused with no post-crash drowsiness.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022
The five-page report also said investigators found no apparent pre-crash mechanical or airframe problems in the plane's remains.
—Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
Soon, the connected car could possibly help during such post-crash situations.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022
This allowed for a post-crash resumption of the decadeslong bull market in bonds that continued right up to the pandemic.
—Red Jahncke, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
De Luis's sister Graziella died in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Richtung South Cedar Creek Parkway A traffic warning has been issued after a crash on K-10 between Kill Creek Road and South Cedar Creek Parkway.
—Kansas City Star Bot, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Details on the circumstances of the crash were not released.
—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
The Freightliner and Peterbilt drivers were not injured in the crash.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Boeing has been struggling financially for five years, since fatal crashes of its 737 Max in late 2018 and early 2019 resulted in a 20-month grounding of its best-selling plane.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crash of the Dali container ship into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month killed six workers and demolished the structure.
—Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Maryland Governor Wes Moore told a news conference that a section of the bridge's steel superstructure north of the crash site would be cut into a piece that could be lifted by crane onto a barge and brought to the nearby Tradepoint Atlantic site at Sparrows Point.
—David Lawder, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
You’ll be perched atop high cliffs where the ocean crashes below.
—Kathleen Wong, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said an 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother died in the crash when a 66-year-old woman crashed 25 feet into the building at about 3 p.m. at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles south of Detroit.
—CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Briana Day, 30, pleaded no contest to drunk driving causing injury in the July 30, 2022, crashed that killed 27-year-old Maricarmen Leon.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The attack came less 24 hours after an argument among passengers resulted in the stabbing of a 70-year-old man on a bus in Silver Lake and less than a month after another man hijacked and crashed a bus in downtown Los Angeles.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
According to a news release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Anthony Joseph Maiorana was driving back from a baseball game with his wife Megan Maiorana, on Friday, March 22, when their car crashed into a lake.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors have alleged the teen defendant, who was 13 at the time, stole his family’s sport utility vehicle for a joyride and led police officers in a chase before the SUV crashed into the car carrying Tina Vital, 43, and Adalina Lilah Perez, 4.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
According to investigators, the motorcycle was driving south at a high rate of speed and crashed into the back of a Ford F-150 that was pulling onto the street from a public driveway, Grieshaber said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
Towering trees, crashing waves Trinidad is just a half hour south of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, one of the four parks that make up Redwood National and State Parks.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Adjective
It's called crash history alerts, and it's meant to warn drivers about dangerous hotspots, based on a combination of historical data plus road and traffic data.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023
The crash scene of the Lockerbie bombing, from left; 1988, and 2018.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2022
Paltrow's attorneys have disputed the extent of Sanderson's injuries and post-crash disorientation, but both sides say the collision resulted in Sanderson's four broken ribs and a concussion.
—Sam Metz, ajc, 28 Mar. 2023
Paltrow's attorneys questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson's downturn wasn't a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions.
—Sam Metz, ajc, 24 Mar. 2023
Keeps you focused with no post-crash drowsiness.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022
The five-page report also said investigators found no apparent pre-crash mechanical or airframe problems in the plane's remains.
—Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
Soon, the connected car could possibly help during such post-crash situations.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022
This allowed for a post-crash resumption of the decadeslong bull market in bonds that continued right up to the pandemic.
—Red Jahncke, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Noun
Dispatchers received a call around 7 a.m. of the crash on Cool Valley Road east of Cole Grand Road, according to Officer Hunter Gerber.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
De Luis's sister Graziella died in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Richtung South Cedar Creek Parkway A traffic warning has been issued after a crash on K-10 between Kill Creek Road and South Cedar Creek Parkway.
—Kansas City Star Bot, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Details on the circumstances of the crash were not released.
—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024
The Freightliner and Peterbilt drivers were not injured in the crash.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Boeing has been struggling financially for five years, since fatal crashes of its 737 Max in late 2018 and early 2019 resulted in a 20-month grounding of its best-selling plane.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The crash of the Dali container ship into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month killed six workers and demolished the structure.
—Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Maryland Governor Wes Moore told a news conference that a section of the bridge's steel superstructure north of the crash site would be cut into a piece that could be lifted by crane onto a barge and brought to the nearby Tradepoint Atlantic site at Sparrows Point.
—David Lawder, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crash.' 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
“Crash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crash. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crash
1 of 4 verb1
a
: to break with violence and much noise : smash
b
: to damage (an airplane) in landing
2
a
: to make or cause to make a loud noise
crash cymbals together
waves crashing on the shore
b
: to move or force a way roughly or with loud crashing noises
we went crashing through the underbrush
3
: to enter or attend without an invitation or without paying
crash a party
tried to crash the gates
4
: to go bad or go out of order suddenly
the computer system crashed
5
slang
: to go to bed or fall asleep
also
: to stay for a short time
crashing with friends for the week
crasher
noun
crash
3 of 4 adjective
: designed to do what it is supposed to do in a big hurry
a crash program
went on a crash diet
crash
4 of 4 noun
: a coarse fabric used for draperies and clothing
Etymology
Verb
Middle English crasschen "crash"
Noun
probably from Russian krashenina "colored linen"
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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