Difference Wiki

Clash vs. Crash

Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on September 30, 2023
Clash means to conflict or have a disagreement, while crash refers to a violent collision or the act of collapsing forcefully.

Key Differences

Clash and crash are two distinct words with different meanings and uses in the English language. Clash generally refers to a conflict, disagreement, or contradiction between two opposing forces, ideas, or individuals. It implies a confrontation or a state of opposition, often causing tension or disputes. For instance, a clash of opinions can occur during a heated debate.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023
In comparison, crash emphasizes the suddenness and forcefulness of the impact or collision. It is primarily associated with physical incidents causing damage or destruction but can also describe sudden failures or collapses in non-physical realms. The nature of a crash is usually abrupt, unexpected, and often involves a breakdown or a catastrophe.
Harlon Moss
Sep 30, 2023
While clash implies opposition or contradiction, often resulting in tension or disputes, crash implies a sudden, forceful impact or breakdown, leading to damage or destruction. Clash can be metaphorical or literal, highlighting conflicts or disagreements, whereas crash is more about physical collisions or abrupt failures.
Harlon Moss
Sep 30, 2023
In the concept of clash, the emphasis is more on the opposition or contradiction between entities, which could be physical or ideological. It often involves situations where differences are pronounced and noticeable, leading to disputes, confrontations, or battles. The clash can exist between varying ideologies, interests, or personalities, potentially causing disputes or conflicts.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023
Conversely, crash denotes a violent and sudden collision or impact, usually resulting in damage. It can refer to objects, vehicles, or systems experiencing a forceful and often destructive impact. A crash can be literal, such as a car crash, or metaphorical, representing a sudden failure or collapse, as in a system crash.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Noun/Verb
Noun/Verb
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023
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Definition

A conflict or disagreement
A violent collision or a sudden failure
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Nature

Can be ideological or physical
Usually physical or systemic
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Usage

Used to describe conflicts or disputes
Used to describe collisions or breakdowns
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Example

Clash of opinions
Car crash
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Clash and Crash Definitions

Clash

A violent conflict.
The clash of the two armies was fierce.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

A violent collision.
The car crash caused a traffic jam.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023
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Clash

A loud sound of metal objects colliding.
The clash of swords echoed through the battlefield.
Harlon Moss
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

A sudden failure or collapse.
The stock market crash led to financial turmoil.
Harlon Moss
Sep 30, 2023

Clash

To collide with a loud, harsh, usually metallic noise
Cymbals clashing.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A loud, abrupt sound.
The crash of the falling plates startled everyone.
Samantha Walker
Sep 30, 2023

Clash

To meet in violent conflict
Armies that clashed on the plain.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To break violently or noisily; smash
The dishes crashed to pieces on the floor.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023
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Clash

To be in opposition or disagreement
An eyewitness account that clashed with published reports.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To undergo sudden damage or destruction on impact
The car crashed into a tree.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To create an unpleasant visual impression when placed together
Colors that clash.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To make a sudden loud noise
The cymbals crash at the end of each measure.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To strike together with a loud, harsh, metallic noise.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To move noisily or so as to cause damage
Went crashing through the woods.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A loud, harsh noise, such as that made by two metal objects in collision.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To undergo a sudden severe downturn, as a market or economy.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A violent conflict or confrontation.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(Computers) To stop functioning due to a crash.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A disagreement or state of opposition
A clash of political ideologies.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(Slang) To undergo a period of unpleasant feeling or depression as an aftereffect of drug-taking.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

An incongruity or unpleasant juxtaposition of different colors or elements.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To find temporary lodging or shelter, as for the night.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(onomatopoeia) A loud sound, like the crashing together of metal objects.
I heard a clash from the kitchen, and rushed in to find the cat had knocked over some pots and pans.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To fall asleep from exhaustion.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A skirmish, a hostile encounter.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To cause to crash
Crashed the truck into the signpost.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(sports) match; a game between two sides.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To dash to pieces; smash
Crashed the ice with a sledgehammer.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

An angry argument
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(Informal) To join or enter (a party, for example) without invitation.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

Opposition; contradiction; such as between differing or contending interests, views, purposes etc.
Clash of beliefs
Culture clash
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden loud noise, as of an object breaking
She looked up when she heard the crash outside.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A combination of garments that do not look good together, especially because of conflicting colours.
She was wearing a horrible clash of red and orange.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A smashing to pieces.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(hurling) An instance of restarting the game after a "dead ball", where it is dropped between two opposing players, who can fight for possession.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A collision, as between two automobiles.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(Scotland) Chatter; gossip; idle talk.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden severe downturn
A market crash.
A population crash.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(intransitive) To make a clashing sound.
The cymbals clashed.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden failure of a hard drive caused by damaging contact between the head and the storage surface, often resulting in the loss of data on the drive.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(transitive) To cause to make a clashing sound.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden failure of a program or operating system, usually without serious consequences.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To come into violent conflict.
Fans from opposing teams clashed on the streets after the game.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(Slang) Mental depression after drug-taking.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

(intransitive) To argue angrily.
My parents often clashed about minor things, such as the cleaning or shopping rota.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A coarse, light, unevenly woven fabric of cotton or linen, used for towels and curtains.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To face each other in an important game.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Starched reinforced fabric used to strengthen a book binding or the spine of a bound book.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To fail to look good together; to contrast unattractively; to fail to harmonize.
You can't wear that shirt! It clashes with your trousers.
The hotel room was ugly, and the wallpaper clashed with the carpet.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Of or characterized by an intensive effort to produce or accomplish
A crash course on income-tax preparation.
A crash diet.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To coincide, to happen at the same time, thereby rendering it impossible to attend all.
I can't come to your wedding because it clashes with a friend's funeral.
I wanted to take German, but it clashed with art on the timetable.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals.
The piece ended in a crescendo, building up to a crash of cymbals.
After the lightning came the crash of thunder.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To chatter or gossip.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

An automobile, airplane, or other vehicle accident.
She broke two bones in her body in a car crash.
Nobody survived the plane crash.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To make a noise by striking against something; to dash noisily together.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(computing) A malfunction of computer software or hardware which causes it to shut down or become partially or totally inoperable.
My computer had a crash so I had to reboot it.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To meet in opposition; to act in a contrary direction; to come onto collision; to interfere.
However some of his interests might clash with those of the chief adjacent colony.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(finance) A sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures).
The stock market crash
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

To strike noisily against or together.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(informal) A comedown from a drug.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A loud noise resulting from collision; a noisy collision of bodies; a collision.
The roll of cannon and clash of arms.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(collective) A group of rhinoceroses.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

Opposition; contradiction; as between differing or contending interests, views, purposes, etc.
Clashes between popes and kings.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(ecology) A sudden decline in any living form's population levels, often leading to extinction.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A loud resonant repeating noise;
He could hear the clang of distant bells
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(textiles) A type of rough linen.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A state of conflict between persons
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Quick, fast, intensive, impromptu.
Crash course
Crash diet
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A state of conflict between colors;
Her dress was a disturbing clash of colors
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(intransitive) To collide with something destructively, fall or come down violently.
When the car crashed into a house, the driver was heavily injured.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A minor short-term fight
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(transitive) To severely damage or destroy something by causing it to collide with something else.
I'm sorry for crashing the bike into a wall. I'll pay for repairs.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

Crash together with violent impact;
The cars collided
Two meteors clashed
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To accelerate a project or a task or its schedule by devoting more resources to it.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

Be incompatible; be or come into conflict;
These colors clash
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To make or experience informal temporary living arrangements, especially overnight.
Hey dude, can I crash at your pad?
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

Disagree violently;
We clashed over the new farm policies
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To give, as a favor.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A serious disagreement.
The clash between the two politicians was inevitable.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

To lie down for a long rest, sleep or nap, as from tiredness or exhaustion.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A contradiction or incongruity.
There was a clash between her words and actions.
Samantha Walker
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

To terminate extraordinarily.
If the system crashes again, we'll have it fixed in the computer shop.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Clash

A competitive encounter.
The clash between the two teams was thrilling.
Janet White
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

To cause to terminate extraordinarily.
Double-clicking this icon crashes the desktop.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(intransitive) To experience a period of depression and/or lethargy after a period of euphoria, as after the euphoric effect of a psychotropic drug has dissipated.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(transitive) To hit or strike with force
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To take a sudden and severe turn for the worse; to rapidly deteriorate.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To make a sudden loud noise.
Thunder crashed directly overhead.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To break in pieces violently; to dash together with noise and violence.
He shakt his head, and crasht his teeth for ire.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To make a loud, clattering sound, as of many things falling and breaking at once; to break in pieces with a harsh noise.
Roofs were blazing and walls crashing in every part of the city.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

To break with violence and noise; as, the chimney in falling crashed through the roof.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A loud, sudden, confused sound, as of many things falling and breaking at once.
The wreck of matter and the crash of worlds.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Ruin; failure; sudden breaking down, as of a business house or a commercial enterprise.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Coarse, heavy, narrow linen cloth, used esp. for towels.
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A loud resonant repeating noise;
He could hear the clang of distant bells
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles);
They are still investigating the crash of the TWA plane
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures)
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

The act of colliding with something;
His crash through the window
The fullback's smash into the defensive line
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

(computer science) an event that causes a computer system to become inoperative;
The crash occurred during a thunderstorm and the system has been down ever since
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Fall or come down violently;
The branch crashed down on my car
The plane crashed in the sea
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Move with, or as if with, a crashing noise;
The car crashed through the glass door
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Undergo damage or destruction on impact;
The plane crashed into the ocean
The car crashed into the lamp post
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Move violently as through a barrier;
The terrorists crashed the gate
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Break violently or noisily; smash;
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Occupy, usually uninvited;
My son's friends crashed our house last weekend
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Enter uninvited; informal;
Let's crash the party!
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Cause to crash;
The terrorists crashed the car into the gate of the palace
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Hurl or thrust violently;
He dashed the plate against the wall
Waves were dashing against the rock
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Undergo a sudden and severe downturn;
The economy crashed
Will the stock market crash again?
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Stop operating;
My computer crashed last night
The system goes down at least once a week
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

Sleep in a convenient place;
You can crash here, though it's not very comfortable
Sawaira Riaz
Mar 17, 2023

Crash

A sudden decrease.
There was a crash in housing prices.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Crash

A sleepover.
After the party, we decided to crash at Mike's place.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

FAQs

Can a crash represent a sudden decrease in value?

Yes, a crash can refer to a sudden and significant decrease, like a market crash.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can crash refer to a sound?

Yes, crash can denote a loud, abrupt sound, like the crash of thunder.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Is clash used as a verb?

Yes, clash can be used as a verb meaning to conflict or be in opposition.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can colors clash?

Yes, colors that do not go well together are said to clash.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 30, 2023

Can clash refer to a sound?

Yes, clash can refer to a loud sound produced by metal objects colliding.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can crash be used as a verb?

Yes, crash can be used as a verb meaning to collide violently or fail suddenly.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can ideologies clash?

Absolutely, ideologies can clash, leading to disputes or conflicts.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Is a clash always physical?

No, a clash can also be a disagreement or conflict of ideas or interests.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can a crash be a decline in health?

While not typical, “crash” can metaphorically represent a sudden decline in health.
Janet White
Sep 30, 2023

Can a computer crash?

Yes, a computer can crash, meaning it suddenly stops working due to a system failure.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 30, 2023

Is a car crash always fatal?

No, a car crash can range from minor to fatal.
Samantha Walker
Sep 30, 2023

Can a crash be prevented?

Some crashes can be prevented with precautions and safety measures.
Samantha Walker
Sep 30, 2023

Can a clash occur between friends?

Yes, even friends can experience clashes or disagreements.
Sawaira Riaz
Sep 30, 2023

Can a clash be resolved peacefully?

Yes, many clashes can be resolved through dialogue and understanding.
Aimie Carlson
Sep 30, 2023

Can clash represent a competition?

Yes, clash can also denote a competitive encounter between teams or individuals.
Samantha Walker
Sep 30, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira Riaz
Sawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma Saeed
Huma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.

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