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
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
Steve Karnowski, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Trump has clashed with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and threatened to fire him.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The Maine operation follows the department’s weeks-long advances in Minnesota, which resulted in clashes between residents and federal officers after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clash
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The video includes brief clips of federal officers clashing with protesters.
—Steve Karnowski, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Trump has clashed with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and threatened to fire him.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Anshel Sag Xreal filed a patent infringement lawsuit against rival AR glasses maker Viture, extending an earlier legal clash that began in Germany.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The Maine operation follows the department’s weeks-long advances in Minnesota, which resulted in clashes between residents and federal officers after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clash
Cite this Entry
“Clash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clash. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
