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

As box office momentum, new creator pipelines and evolving business models collide with critical acclaim, industry buzz and Oscar ambition, what does commercial success mean for a film’s awards prospects now? — Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

With federal agents giving chase, one of the runaways and an ICE vehicle collided on the median between the Liberty Expressway and an exit ramp, reports say. — Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Instead of quitting cold turkey, a growing group is carving out intentional pockets of offline time, a move that’s colliding with the analog aesthetic revival, phone-free spaces and friction tools designed to hand control back to the user. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026

Extreme nuclear matter RHIC operated at BNL from 2000 to 2026 and was designed to investigate exotic forms of nuclear matter by colliding heavy atomic nuclei, like gold, at nearly the speed of light. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 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