clash

verb

\ˈklash

clashed; clashing; clashes

Definition of clash

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to make a clash cymbals clashed

2 : to come into conflict where ignorant armies clash by night— Matthew Arnold also : to be incompatible the colors clashed

transitive verb

: to cause to clash

clash

noun

Definition of clash (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a noisy usually metallic sound of collision

2a : a hostile encounter : skirmish

b : a sharp conflict a clash of opinions

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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 Web: Verb

At least three people were killed in the protests, including two protesters who were fatally shot as demonstrators clashed with police, The Associated Press reported. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Haiti protests leave US church youth groups stranded in Caribbean nation as violence, roadblocks continue," 7 July 2018 Some have speculated that Markle can't wear colors that clash with the Queen's bold palette to the same event. — Halie Lesavage, Glamour, "It Sure Looks Like the Queen Inspired Meghan Markle's Latest Outfit Choice," 5 July 2018 At the Euro 2016 tournament, muscular Russian fans who French officials said were trained in fighting clashed violently with England supporters in the French city of Marseille, further straining ties between the geopolitical foes. — Thomas Grove, WSJ, "Russia Gives Soccer Hooligans the Boot at World Cup," 4 July 2018 Nurture and nationhood converge again, and clash anew. — Leah Ollman, latimes.com, "In Shinique Smith's 'Refuge,' bits of past make for a compelling present," 3 July 2018 This is not the first time the chamber has clashed with Trump in recent months. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Is Fighting Trump's Tariffs with Facts," 2 July 2018 It is sometimes said that Croatia’s war of independence kicked off in May 1990 when fans from Zagreb and Belgrade clashed at Zagreb’s Maksimir stadium. — The Economist, "Croatia stands on the cusp of World Cup victory," 13 July 2018 Inter will later face Sheffield United in England, before International Champions Cup clashes with Chelsea, Lyon and Atletico Madrid across Europe. — SI.com, "Inter Officially Unveil Kwadwo Asamoah Following Free Transfer From Juventus," 10 July 2018 Trump criticized Bush during his presidential campaign and frequently clashed with his son, Jeb, during the Republican primaries. — Abigail Simon, Time, "President Trump Picked Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Who Is He?," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

As soon as the merger was approved in mid-June, reports emerged that HBO and AT&T were heading toward a culture clash. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Is AT&T Going to Ruin HBO?," 10 July 2018 Tamerlan was killed during a clash with police in Watertown days after the blasts. — Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Lawyers for Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev want the Todashev tapes," 5 July 2018 Each time Federer and Nadal reach the finals of a Grand Slam, whether pitted against mere mortals or each other in yet another titanic clash, the race for the title of greatest tennis player of all time draws evermore narrow. — Andrew Lawrence, The Atlantic, "What’s Going on With Novak Djokovic?," 30 June 2018 Already, clashes like those in Nigeria have killed tens of thousands in Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and others. — Ciara Nugent, Time, "Land Conflict Has Long Been a Problem in Nigeria. Here’s How Climate Change Is Making It Worse," 28 June 2018 In addition to the reports of the so far unreceived proposal, sources told THR that there was clashes on-set between Bella and creator I. Marlene King. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Bella Thorne-Led "Famous In Love" Might Be Cancelled at Freeform," 27 June 2018 These were likely temporary wartime measures, and as in Nogales, they were intended to prevent cross-border clashes. — Rachel St. John, Smithsonian, "The Raging Controversy at the Border Began With This Incident 100 Years Ago," 26 June 2018 There is a lot of concern within these different companies about culture clash with a new owner. — Matthew Belloni, The Hollywood Reporter, "AT&T’s John Stankey Talks WarnerMedia Plans, Netflix Spending, DC Movies and CNN Politics," 18 June 2018 Following their clashes at St. Petersburg and Road America, that's the pair fans are dying to see develop into the next big IndyCar rivalry. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: IndyCar is just too dangerous for nasty rivalries," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clash.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.