collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd 

collided; colliding

intransitive verb

1

: to come together with solid or direct impact

The car collided with a tree.

Two helicopters collided.

2

: clash

colliding cultures

Science and religion collided in the court.

Synonyms of collide

• clash
• conflict

Examples of collide in a Sentence

Two football players collided on the field.

the candidate had a reputation as a maverick whose positions often collided with the party platform

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time of the collision, the American Airlines regional jet was sending out a signal, but the Army helicopter that collided with it did not have its system turned on. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

According to investigators, 24-year-old Ruby Lorenzo of Escalon was driving eastbound on Highway 50 when her vehicle collided with another car. — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Brian Grazer first realized that advertising and entertainment were colliding after a meeting with General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt a decade ago. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Likewise, before dawn, your location on Earth is facing into the stream of comet debris, meaning more meteoroids collide with Earth's atmosphere overhead. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin collidere, from com- + laedere to injure by striking

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for collide

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied

Kids Definition

collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd 

collided; colliding

1

: to come together with solid impact

the football players collided

2

: clash entry 1 sense 2a

their different outlooks collided