clash

1 of 2

verb

ˈklash 

clashed; clashing; clashes

intransitive verb

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

clasher noun

clash

2 of 2

noun

1

: a noisy usually metallic sound of collision

2

a

: a hostile encounter : skirmish

b

: a sharp conflict

a clash of opinions

Synonyms of clash

Verb

• conflict
• collide

Noun

• skirmish
• battle
• fight
• struggle
• tussle

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

Protesters clashed with police last year outside hotels housing asylum seekers in London and several other cities. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

If schedules clash, propose an asynchronous update and keep momentum visible. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026

Noun

But there was also a sending-off for his City team-mate Phil Foden in a clash with Bruno Fernandes of United in the same match. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Administration calls them common sense Last year, Democrats worried that Trump might intervene in off-year elections in California, Virginia and elsewhere, only to have voting go smoothly with no clashes with the federal government. — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clash

• battle/clash of wills
• clash of personalities

Rhymes for clash

• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache
• cash
• crash
• dash
• flash
• gash
• hash
• lash
• mash

Kids Definition

clash

1 of 2 verb

ˈklash 

1

: 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 noun

1

: a loud sharp sound usually of metal striking metal

the clash of swords

2

: a sharp fight or strong disagreement