collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd How to pronounce collide (audio)
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.

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 Audi was going at an as-yet-undetermined speed when the front of the the car collided into the rear of the Volvo, Axt said. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Milwaukee police say a 31-year-old driver ran a red light on the city's northwest side Tuesday and collided with a 55-year-old driver, who ended up dying. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 For example, over several days in February, a Waymo vehicle smashed into a closing gate while exiting the University of Southern California’s campus, and the next day, another car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco. Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Six people, including two teens, were injured after a shooting suspect fled from Arlington police Thursday night and his vehicle collided with two others, officials said. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024 Scientists are becoming more concerned about the growing number of satellites and space junk that could collide and cause a dangerous with other objects in orbit, according to LiveScience. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2024 All that — plus a glimpse into the hedonistic lifestyle associated with them and their L.A. rock peers during that time — collided in court during the trial’s fourth day. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 This is the latest court-storming injury after Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark was shaken up but not injured after a fan who was staring at her phone collided with her while storming the court on Jan. 21 at Ohio State. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The climate impacts have collided with the growing pains of a fast-expanding city. Laura Paddison, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of collide was in 1700

Dictionary Entries Near collide

Cite this Entry

“Collide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collide. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

collide

verb
col·​lide kə-ˈlīd How to pronounce collide (audio)
collided; colliding
1
: to come together with solid impact
the football players collided
2
: clash entry 1 sense 2a
their different outlooks collided

More from Merriam-Webster on collide

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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