From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcrashcrash1 /kræʃ/ ●●● S3 W2 verb 1 CAR/PLANE ETCcar/plane etc [intransitive, transitive]TT to have an accident in a car, plane etc by violently hitting something else → collide The jet crashed after take-off.crash into/onto etc The plane crashed into a mountain.crash a car/bus/plane etc He was drunk when he crashed the car.GRAMMAR: Reciprocal verbsCrash is a reciprocal verb. This type of verb is used when saying that two or more people or things do something that involves both or all of them: Two planes crashed in midair. You can also say: Two planes crashed with each other in midair.One plane crashed with another in midair.2 HIT something/somebody HARDhit somebody/something hard [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]TTHIT/BUMP INTO to hit something or someone extremely hard while moving, in a way that causes a lot of damage or makes a lot of noisecrash into/through etc A brick crashed through the window. We watched the waves crashing against the rocks. The plates went crashing to the ground. A large branch came crashing down.3 MAKE A LOUD NOISEloud noise [intransitive]CSOUND to make a sudden loud noise Thunder crashed and boomed outside.4 COMPUTERcomputer [intransitive, transitive]TD if a computer crashes, or if you crash the computer, it suddenly stops working The system crashed and I lost three hours’ worth of work.5 FINANCIALfinancial [intransitive]BFS if a stock market or shares crash, they suddenly lose a lot of value 6 sport [intransitive] British English to lose very badly in a sports event Liverpool crashed to their worst defeat of the season.7 SLEEPsleep [intransitive] spoken a) SLEEPto stay at someone’s house for the night Can I crash at your place on Saturday night? b) SLEEP (also crash out) to go to bed, or go to sleep very quickly, because you are very tired I crashed out on the sofa this afternoon.8 party [transitive]INVITE informal to go to a party that you have not been invited to We crashed Joe’s party yesterday.9 → crashing boreTHESAURUScrash verb [intransitive, transitive] to hit another vehicle, a tree, the ground etc, with a lot of force, causing a lot of damageThe plane crashed a kilometre from the runway.He was scared I’d crash his car.The car crashed into a tree.hit verb [transitive] to move into something quickly and with forceHe wasn’t paying attention, and almost hit another car.The car hit a lamppost. collide verb [intransitive] if two cars, trains, planes etc collide, they hit each other, especially when they are moving in opposite directionsThe two planes collided in mid-air.An express train collided with a freight train in the morning rush hour.run into something phrasal verb [transitive] to hit a vehicle or object that is directly in front of you, especially because you are not paying attentionHe ran into the car in front while he was talking on his mobile phone.smash into something phrasal verb [transitive] to crash into something, causing a great amount of damageAn army helicopter smashed into the side of the mountain.plough into British English, plow into American English phrasal verb [transitive] to crash into something with a lot of force, especially when your vehicle continues moving afterwardsThe bus went out of control and ploughed into a line of traffic.ram verb [transitive] to deliberately hit another boat or vehicle very hard, especially when it is not movingThe ship had been rammed by a submarine.The gunmen tried to ram the police car. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
crash• He lost control of his car at the first bend and crashed.• Hundreds of hospital records were wiped out when the network crashed.• I installed the new program and my computer crashed.• The cymbals crashed, and the symphony came to an end.• My computer crashed, and we couldn't get it working again.• You can crash at our place if you can't get a ride home.• First I pulled the great ladder away from the tower, sending it crashing back into the trees.• Rick crashed his bike before he'd finished paying for it.• The bus crashed into an embankment before bursting into flames.• The utility takes 22K and crashed our test system on several occasions.• A few minutes later, a wall of water crashed over the lip of the Falls and Niagara was in business again.• The Army set up emergency hotlines for inquiring parents but the system crashed several hours later because of a flood of calls.• Witnesses say the jet crashed shortly after takeoff.• We crashed Stella's party last Friday.• The tire blew, causing him to crash the car.• Most river tourists travel in big noisy motor rigs, which crash through all but the biggest rapids without difficulty.• He stumbled backwards and struck a bed screen that crashed to the floor, bringing him with it.• Since some airplanes and trains do crash, when does fear about traveling in them become a phobia?crash into/onto etc• Some one almost crashed into her cart.• She struck a parked car and crashed into the building, police said.• And listen: this is how I felt as my grandad's block came crashing into the ground.• Then it's the turn of BBmak who crashed into the top five last week with Back Here.• Artillery began to crash into the tree lines, and artillery flares fell, as well.• An oil drum was kicked away, rolling and crashing into the wall beside her.crash into/through etc• Read in studio Police have now named the three rugby fans who were killed when their light aircraft crashed into a field.• The driver was arrested after he crashed into a parked vehicle and tried to flee on foot.• This hopefully, kept everyone from crashing into everyone else.• Running back Garrison Hearst sustained a left shoulder stinger when he crashed into linebacker Jesse Tuggle on a lead block.• Not only missed, but crashed into the rocks like one of the nearby surfers falling off the crest of a wave.• And away he went, crashing through their bed to victory and renown.• A trio of kids nearly crashed into us in the street. crashcrash2 ●●● S3 W2 noun [countable] 1 TTHIT/BUMP INTOan accident in which a vehicle violently hits something else → collisionplane/car/rail crash Forty-one people were killed in a plane crash.a fatal crash (=one in which someone is killed)crash between/with She was involved in a head-on crash with a motorbike (=in which the front of one vehicle directly hits the front of another). a motorway crash between a coach and a lorry a crash victim► see thesaurus at accident2 CSOUNDa sudden loud noise made by something falling, breaking etc I heard a loud crash.with a crash The branch came down with a crash.crash of a crash of thunder► see thesaurus at sound3 TDan occasion when a computer or computer system suddenly stops working4 BFSan occasion on which the stocks and shares in a stock market suddenly lose a lot of value the stock market crash of October 1987COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + crash a car/train/plane etc crashHe was badly hurt in a car crash.a road/rail/air crashThere will be an investigation into the cause of the air crash.a head-on crash (=in which the front part of two vehicles hit each other)He died in a head-on crash with a lorry.a fatal crash (=in which someone is killed)There have been several fatal crashes on this road.a high-speed crashthe risk of injury from a high-speed crasha horrific/terrible/appalling crasha horrific crash in which three teenage boys were killedverbshave a crash (also be involved in a crash) (=in a car)I’ve been nervous about driving since I had a crash last year.a crash happens/occursThe three-vehicle crash happened on the corner of Ongar Road.a crash involves somethingTwo women were taken to hospital after a crash involving a bus and a car.crash + NOUNa crash victim (=someone injured or killed in a crash)Families of the crash victims want to know what happened.a crash site/scene (=place where a crash happens)The authorities closed off a five-mile area around the crash site.a crash investigator (=someone who tries to find the cause of a crash)Crash investigators spent several days examining the scene. Examples from the Corpus
crash• Ira Louvin was killed in a crash in Montana that also took the lives of six other people.• Does it depend on the statistical probability of a crash?• The whole tray of dishes fell to the floor with a crash.• There was a loud crash in the bedroom and my dad started yelling.• The stock market crash made me suspicious of those type of insurance schemes.• And the Paris crash was a reminder that it can do so with the most catastrophic results.• Her husband died in a plane crash in 1981.• The Wall Street Crash was disastrous for many American businessmen.• Luckily, I sold my shares just before the crash.• It was the smoke, an autopsy revealed, that killed Evan, not injuries from the crash.• Name the two famous rock stars who died in the crash with Buddy. 4. 4.• Both drivers were injured in the crash.• The court heard that the crash happened at Pentwyn, Cardiff, after the three celebrated Coombes' first job.loud crash• There was a terrible cry, and a loud crash.• Suddenly, I heard a loud crash near me, scaring me out of my wits.• After only three or four paces, a loud crash came from behind me.• Lightning flashed in the sky, and there was a loud crash of thunder.• A moment later there was a loud crash aft as some one rear-ended me.• Suddenly there was a loud crash.• There was a loud crash, as the box fell into the sea.• A loud crash could be heard from the room and the sound of wailing drifted into the courtroom, startling onlookers.From Longman Business Dictionarycrashcrash1 /kræʃ/ noun [countable]1FINANCEa time when many stocks and shares lose a lot of their value very quickly, usually when investors lose confidence in the market and want to sell quicklythe stock market crash of October 19872COMPUTINGan occasion when a computer or a piece of computer software suddenly stops workingIf you don’t save your work and there’s a crash, you’ll lose everything you’ve done.crashcrash2 verb1[intransitive]FINANCE if stockmarkets or shares crash, they suddenly lose a lot of valueThe cost of the project has soared, causing the shares to crash 11p to 329p.2[intransitive, transitive]COMPUTING if a computer or a piece of software crashes, or if you crash it, it suddenly stops working properlyThe memory was completely overloaded, causing the system to crash.an error which crashed the whole system→ See Verb tableOrigin crash1 (1300-1400) Probably from the sound 