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

Video of the crash taken by eyewitness Allie Cardoza, who was in a nearby vehicle at the time, shows the train colliding with the front of a black SUV. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026

The pair collided with such force that Dumoulin got knocked up about two feet in the air before landing hard on his padded backside. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026

The 22-year-old went down after colliding with Wolves’ Hugo Bueno while trying to keep the ball in play, and appeared in pain. —Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

Security Fire Department Crews found that a vehicle had collided with the second story of a nearby building before crashing back to the ground. —Christa Swanson, CBS News, 26 Apr. 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