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

The Longhorns and Aggies will clash at Dickies Arena on Sunday, Dec. 8. — Nick Moyle, Houston Chronicle, "Longhorns and Aggies set to renew basketball rivalry," 14 June 2019 The Longhorns and Aggies will clash at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Sunday, Dec. 8. — Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "Longhorns notebook: Longhorns, Aggies set to renew basketball rivalry," 14 June 2019 This new public-ferry system would clash with the private ferry business led by Capt. — Colin Diltz, The Seattle Times, "Before floating bridges, Lake Washington had a ferry fleet," 6 June 2019 Many of the company’s brands, like Jell-O desserts and Kool-Aid drink mix, clash with current trends. — Kimberly Chin, WSJ, "Kraft Heinz Write-Downs Raise Doubts About Its Future Path," 22 Feb. 2019 The match will clash with England's quarter final against Sweden but the Three Lions' progress in the competition came too late for the club to rearrange the fixture. — SI.com, "Liverpool Move Tranmere Pre-Season Friendly in Case England Reach World Cup Semi Final," 5 July 2018 For the 40th consecutive year, the top senior football players in Eastern Massachusetts will clash in a prestigious exhibition of skill and power. — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "North vs. South in 40th Shriners All-Star Football Classic," 22 June 2018 For the sixth straight year, the top seniors from the Keystone State will clash with an all-star squad from Maryland at 7 p.m. Saturday at Central Dauphin’s Landis Field in Harrisburg. — Mike Owens, Philly.com, "Big 33 Football Classic: Eight local players will suit up for Pa.," 14 June 2018 Duke will clash for the right to march on to Monday’s title game. — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "By the numbers for men’s lacrosse (May 22)," 22 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Drew Angerer/Getty Images The clash between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over desegregation busing programs that Biden opposed in the 1970s brought more heat than any other single incident across four hours of Democratic debating. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Democratic candidates’ school integration plans, explained," 3 July 2019 This year has also seen clashes between Mayor John Cranley and the other Democrats on Cincinnati City Council and between new County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas and the other two Democratic county commissioners. — Scott Wartman, Cincinnati.com, "Gwen McFarlin may be the biggest name in Greater Cincinnati politics you haven't heard of.," 2 July 2019 The move follows frequent clashes between the governments of Prime Minister Shinzo... — Mayumi Negishi, WSJ, "Japan Curbs Exports to South Korea, Hitting Global Chip Makers," 1 July 2019 In fact, in recent days more than 300,000 have fled the northeastern region of the country due to clashes between two groups, the Hema and the Lendu. — Lekan Oguntoyinbo, Quartz Africa, "More African migrants are trying to enter the US through the Mexican border," 23 June 2019 It’s all done with peppy pop songs, a humorous script and a boot full of heartfelt sentiment, expressed as the common goal overcomes the cultural clashes between the blue-collar factory workers and the outré drag queens. — nola.com, "‘Kinky Boots’ kicks up its musical heels at the Saenger," 15 June 2019 After the protests and clashes on Wednesday, the Hong Kong legislature’s president delayed debate on the extradition bill through Friday. — Mike Ives, BostonGlobe.com, "After protests, Hong Kong’s leader faces more calls to delay bill," 14 June 2019 The place that sparked a thousand protests and endless clashes has been given a facelift. — Washington Post, "Israel’s high-tech facelift takes the sting out of checkpoints — but not out of the occupation," 12 June 2019 The problem is that reality—that same reality Canals spoke about—keeps intruding anyway, and the clash between the show’s ebullient tone and its bleaker scenes can sometimes be a discordant one. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Pose Lets In the Light," 12 June 2019

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.