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

Demonstrators clashed with police at a wholesale market in Madrid in the early hours of the strike, while roadblocks were also reported in the early hours of Wednesday. — Natalie Feary, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026

Chisholm Trail and Heights will clash in the bi-district round — the Rangers have a shot to win their first playoff game ever. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026

Noun

Ericka, being lighter-skinned than Paulina, sparks a clash between the school's headmistress and the pageant director over beauty and who would have the best chance of winning the Miss Global Universe pageant. — Kristian Monroe, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026

Tensions devolved into armed clashes and a brutal war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions until a 2022 peace agreement. — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 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