collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd 

collided; colliding

intransitive verb

1

: to come together with solid or direct impact

The car collided with a tree.

Two helicopters collided.

2

: clash

colliding cultures

Science and religion collided in the court.

Synonyms of collide

• clash
• conflict

Examples of collide in a Sentence

Two football players collided on the field.

the candidate had a reputation as a maverick whose positions often collided with the party platform

Recent Examples on the Web

The Hermosa Beach Pier closed Sunday morning after a truck collided with nearby power lines. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 22 June 2026

On the morning of June 14, two helicopters collided and crashed in the Brazilian city’s Western zone, killing all six people aboard, firefighters said. —Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

One person was seriously injured when a pickup truck collided with a motorcycle in East Haven on Sunday night. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026

Ships collide furiously in a gray and seething Narrow Sea. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin collidere, from com- + laedere to injure by striking

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for collide

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied

Kids Definition

collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd 

collided; colliding

1

: to come together with solid impact

the football players collided

2

: clash entry 1 sense 2a

their different outlooks collided