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

• 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

For the class of 2025, the promise of the cap and gown is colliding with the unfortunate realities of a labor market in flux. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

Plasma gone in an instant RHIC accelerates beams of particles close to the speed of light and then collides them. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025

That urgency collides with organizational inertia. —Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Back in May, the right wingtip of a United Airlines plane departing a gate collided with the left wingtip of another United plane in San Francisco, according to the FAA. —Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1700, 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