collide

verb

col·​lide kə-ˈlīd How to pronounce collide (audio)
collided; colliding
Synonyms of collide

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

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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
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.
Officials have not established what caused the helicopters to collide. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Investigators were combing through debris scattered across a field in northwest Oregon Thursday after two helicopters collided midair, killing three people and forcing the closure of a nearby highway, officials said. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 The tone of these sorts of interactions has changed over the course of this season, as different people from different worlds have collided and been able to get past the impossibility of it. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026 Simeon drove the wrong way on the Palmetto Expressway for at least a mile before colliding near Northwest 57th Avenue with Pacalagua’s Honda Accord, according to his arrest warrant. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collide

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of collide was in 1646

Rhymes for collide

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Browse Nearby Words

colliculate
collide
collider
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Collide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collide. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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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
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