crashed; crashing; crashes
1
a
: to break violently and noisily : smash
b
: to damage (an airplane) in landing
2
a
: to cause to make a loud noise
crash the cymbals together
b
: to force (one's way) through with loud crashing noises
3
: to enter or attend without invitation or without paying
crash the party
4
: to move toward aggressively (as in fighting for a rebound)
basketball players crashing the boards
5
: to cause (a computer system, component, or program) to crash
1
a
: to break or go to pieces with or as if with violence and noise
b
: to fall, land, or hit with destructive force
c
: to decline suddenly and steeply
d
of a computer system, component, or program
: to suffer a sudden major failure usually with attendant loss of data
2
: to make a smashing noise
thunder crashing overhead
3
: to move or force one's way with or as if with a crash
crashes into the room
4
slang
: to experience the aftereffects (such as fatigue, irritability, headache, or depression) of a physiologically or psychologically active substance
Prolonged use of cocaine—repeatedly cycles of euphoria, crashing, and craving—probably brings about changes in the postsynaptic neurons …—
Robert Wilbur
Robert WilburCrashing from a sugar high never helped anyone remain awake all night.—Justin Rocket Silverman
Justin Rocket Silverman5
informal
a
: to go to bed or fall asleep
b
: to lose energy : to become very fatigued
It happens every afternoon like clockwork … I'm crashing, my body says. I need salt. Sugar. Fat. Now.—James Oseland
James Oseland
crasher
noun
1
: a loud sound (as of things smashing)
a crash of thunder
2
a
: a breaking to pieces by or as if by collision
b
: an instance of crashing
a plane crash
a system crash
3
: a sudden decline (as of a population) or failure (as of a business)
a stock market crash
4
informal
: the sudden, powerful occurrence of adverse aftereffects (such as fatigue, irritability, headache, or depression) following the use of a physiologically or psychologically active substance
… the jitters, euphoria and eventual crash that come after caffeine or amphetamines.—Graham Lawton
Graham LawtonWhen it comes to snacks, bars can have a nutritional edge over candy. Many are lower in fat and sugars. And some bars might be less likely to cause sugar rushes followed by crashes.—Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
: marked by a concerted effort and effected in the shortest possible time especially to meet emergency conditions
a crash renovation program
: a coarse fabric used for draperies, toweling, and clothing and for strengthening joints of cased-in books
Synonyms
Examples of crash in a Sentence
Verb
She crashed the car into a tree, but no one was hurt.
He has crashed two cars, a truck, and a motorcycle.
We listened to the waves crashing against the shore.
The stuntman crashed through the window on a motorcycle.
The walls crashed down around them.
The books crashed to the floor.
The cymbals crashed and the trumpets blew.
Thunder crashed as the rain started to pour.
He crashed the cymbals together.
Noun (1)
the fiery crash of two jumbo jet airplanes in midair
refused to be discouraged by the crash of her hairdressing business
the crash of cymbals
a story about the crash of two alien cultures and the unfortunate consequences
Recent Examples on the Web
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
Earhart’s mysterious disappearance Conspiracy theories have developed since the aviator’s disappearance, but the US government suspects that Earhart and her navigator crashed into the Pacific when the plane ran out of fuel.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Patrick Corcoran, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2024
Alongside the other half of the crash dummy team, Tony Reitano, Rydbeck was the original star of the slapstick public service announcements.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 25 July 2024
David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024
The lack of regulation may help explain why the state has the nation’s lowest autopsy rate in child deaths attributed to unnatural or unknown causes — a category that includes suicides, homicides, crashes, drownings, overdoses and sudden infant deaths.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crash 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Even then a great and wondrous technology—the internet—couldn’t save a host of companies from coming crashing down.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
Earhart’s mysterious disappearance Conspiracy theories have developed since the aviator’s disappearance, but the US government suspects that Earhart and her navigator crashed into the Pacific when the plane ran out of fuel.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Do these incidents make Portage Park a crash hot spot?
—Patrick Corcoran, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2024
Alongside the other half of the crash dummy team, Tony Reitano, Rydbeck was the original star of the slapstick public service announcements.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 25 July 2024
Noun
At least two-thirds of crash victims were pedestrians, bicyclists, or occupants of cars turning left at intersections without traffic signals.
—David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024
The lack of regulation may help explain why the state has the nation’s lowest autopsy rate in child deaths attributed to unnatural or unknown causes — a category that includes suicides, homicides, crashes, drownings, overdoses and sudden infant deaths.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crash
Articles Related to crash
Dictionary Entries Near crash
Cite this Entry
“Crash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crash. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crash
1 of 4 verb1
a
: to break with violence and much noise : smash
b
: to damage (an airplane) in landing
2
a
: to make or cause to make a loud noise
crash cymbals together
waves crashing on the shore
b
: to move or force a way roughly or with loud crashing noises
we went crashing through the underbrush
3
: to enter or attend without an invitation or without paying
crash a party
tried to crash the gates
4
: to go bad or go out of order suddenly
the computer system crashed
5
informal
: to go to bed or fall asleep
also
: to stay for a short time
crashing with friends for the week
crasher
noun
crash
3 of 4 adjective
: designed to do what it is supposed to do in a big hurry
a crash program
went on a crash diet
crash
4 of 4 noun
: a coarse fabric used for draperies and clothing
Etymology
Verb
Middle English crasschen "crash"
Noun
probably from Russian krashenina "colored linen"
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