clash
/klaʃ
/noun
1A violent confrontation: there have been minor clashes with security forces...
- Over the past couple of months hundreds of thousands of protestors have dominated the country's capital, resulting in a series of violent clashes with police and brutal arrests.
- Fifteen pro-hunting demonstrators were being held in custody today following yesterday's violent clashes with police outside Parliament, police said.
- Four men have been arrested following violent clashes with police in a disturbance in Huddersfield during which a council building was damaged by a blazing car.
Synonyms
confrontation, skirmish, brush, encounter, engagement, collision, incident, conflict, fight, battle;
hostilities, fighting, warring
archaic rencounter
1.1An incompatibility leading to disagreement: a personality clash...
- And indeed, for the first few days the clash of personalities and cultures can be terrifying.
- Have you noticed recent personality clashes, suddenly overly-friendly colleagues, or small huddled groups round water coolers who stop talking as you approach?
- The convoy itself encountered numerous difficulties; mechanical and logistical problems were compounded by stormy clashes of personality.
Synonyms
argument, altercation, confrontation, angry exchange, shouting match, war of words, battle royal, passage of arms;
contretemps, quarrel, difference of opinion, disagreement, dispute;
British slanging match
informal run-in
British informal, Football afters
1.2British A sports fixture (used chiefly in journalism): the Euro 2000 clash between England and Germany...
- Reds now turn their attentions to Sunday's promotion clash with Leigh.
- Top seed Peter Nicol will meet seventh seed Simon Parke in an all-Yorkshire clash featuring two former champions.
- Dietary dilemmas aside, the match promises to be a fiercely contested clash between two top rugby nations.
2A mismatch of colours: a clash of tweeds and a striped shirt...
- Gone are the stylish wedding planners who once plucked out the excess baby's breath and saved you from unforeseen colour clashes.
- In France people need permission to paint buildings a particular colour in an effort to avoid a clash of colour in a street.
- He spilled a can of green paint across terracotta tiles - what a horrendous clash of colours.
Synonyms
mismatch, discordance, discord, lack of harmony, incompatibility, jarring
3An inconvenient coincidence of the timing of events or activities: it is hoped that clashes of dates will be avoided...
- Because the site was so fully booked, the date could not be shifted to avoid a clash with the Boston event.
- He said the club had considered the York City Knights when planning the event to avoid a clash with the rugby league club's big home game with Keighley.
- The Olympic champion could well have won four titles if she had not chosen to drop out of the 100 butterfly to avoid a clash of events.
Synonyms
coincidence, concurrence, co-occurrence;
conflict
4A loud jarring sound, as of metal objects being struck together: a clash of cymbals...
- I was just starting to get back to normal when there was a loud clash of cymbals next door followed by the ‘Pom, Pom, Pom, Pom’ of a large lass playing the tuba.
- Before the elf could answer, however, there was a loud roar of anger, a terrifying clash of metal, and a feminine scream.
- The clash of metal echoed throughout the castle.
Synonyms
striking, bang, clang, crash, clatter, clank;
clangour
verb [no object]
1Meet and come into violent conflict: protestors demanding self-rule clashed with police...
- A demonstration turned violent when police clashed with protesters after the rally had all but dispersed.
- The violence began when police clashed with some 2,000 demonstrators who were demanding the release of six people earlier detained by police.
- The annual May Day demonstrations got off to a violent start overnight when police clashed with protestors in Berlin and the northern city of Hamburg.
Synonyms
fight, skirmish, contend, come to blows, be in conflict, come into conflict, engage, war, grapple;
do battle;
confront, attack
1.1Have a forceful disagreement: the prime minister clashed with other Commonwealth leaders...
- This dispute is not the first time Marie has clashed with the council.
- But Phillips disagreed and the two clashed over finance.
- Each works in their own way to fight the corporate media system and its government control, eventually clashing over their differing methods of protest.
Synonyms
disagree, dissent, differ, wrangle, dispute, cross swords, lock horns, be at odds, be at loggerheads
1.2Be incompatible or at odds: his thriftiness clashed with Ross’s largesse...
- The advice that women use barrier contraception clashed with the hospital's ethos, although the leaflet did say abstinence was acceptable.
- However, his older brother, Anthony, has his own ideas about how to spend the money and their polar opposite fiscal philosphies eventually clash.
- Tempers have flared as the newcomers' habits have clashed with local customs.
1.3British (In reference to sports teams) play a match (used chiefly in journalism): the two sides clashed in a goalless draw at Old Trafford in November...
- Even then the Clubs for some strange reason did not clash too often in major Championship matches.
- Lara will be keen to cap his last international match with a win against England when the two under-performing teams clash on Saturday.
- It makes no sense at all for them to clash again in the semi-final.
2(Of colours) appear discordant or ugly when placed close to each other: (as adjective clashing) suits in clashing colours...
- The explosions blossomed in the night sky, the colors continuing to clash against each other.
- She used to love being outdoors, and she used to always wear bright, if sometimes clashing, colours.
- The floor under Cecil's feet was tiled, colours merging and clashing in a dazzling display.
Synonyms
be incompatible, not match, not go, be discordant, jar
informal scream at
3Inconveniently occur at the same time: we play our home games when they do not clash with those of Liverpool or Everton...
- The gig clashes with the England-France match.
- Broadcasters have already warned that fair coverage of a referendum would be impossible if it clashes with the May elections, and some ministers fear it could lead to a legal challenge in the courts.
- Organisers of a popular fireworks display which clashes with England's crucial football game in Turkey this Saturday are hoping the big match action does not deter the crowds.
Synonyms
conflict, coincide, occur simultaneously, happen at the same time as
4 [with object] Strike (cymbals) together, producing a loud discordant sound.The sound of there swords clashing together seemed to echo....
- The sound of metal clashing together alerted the group and the knights ran to her aid along with everybody else.
- Their weapons clashed as they met in the middle of the room.
Synonyms
bang, strike, clang, crash, smash, clank, clatter
Derivatives
clasher
Origin
Early 16th century: imitative.