on a collision course

idiom

: moving so as to crash into each other if one or the other does not change direction
The two airplanes were on a collision course.
often + with
The comet was on a collision course with the planet.
often used figuratively
The government's policies are putting us on a collision course with economic disaster.

Examples of on a collision course in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The third film in the franchise follows Ares (Jared Leto), an intelligent computer program who begins to question his orders and directives from CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), setting him on a collision course into the real world to find Eve Kim (Greta Lee), the current CEO of Encom. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025 And that puts it on a collision course with Apple. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025 This sets the two former friends on a collision course that culminates in a mid-battle duel on the field of Hastings. Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025 The keyhole is an area in space where the gravity of a planet, like Jupiter, could change the asteroid's altered trajectory once more — potentially putting it on a collision course with our planet. Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for on a collision course

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On a collision course.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20a%20collision%20course. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!