To make a loud, clattering sound, as of many things falling and breaking at once; to break in pieces with a harsh noise. [1913 Webster]
"Roofs were blazing and walls crashing in every part of the city." [1913 Webster]
To break with violence and noise; as, the chimney in falling crashed through the roof. [1913 Webster]

crash, n.

A loud, sudden, confused sound, as of many things falling and breaking at once. [1913 Webster]
"The wreck of matter and the crash of worlds." [1913 Webster]
Ruin; failure; sudden breaking down, as of a business house or a commercial enterprise. [1913 Webster]

crash, n. [L. crassus coarse. See Crass.].

Coarse, heavy, narrow linen cloth, used esp. for towels. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

crash, v., n., & adv.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. make or cause to make a loud smashing noise (the cymbals crashed; crashed the plates together).
2 tr. & intr. throw, drive, move, or fall with a loud smashing noise.
3 intr. & tr. a collide or cause (a vehicle) to collide violently with another vehicle, obstacle, etc.; overturn at high speed. b fall or cause (an aircraft) to fall violently on to the land or the sea (crashed the plane; the airman crashed into the sea).
4 intr. (usu. foll. by into) collide violently (crashed into the window).
5 intr. undergo financial ruin.
6 tr. colloq. enter without permission (crashed the cocktail party).
7 intr. colloq. be heavily defeated (crashed to a 4-0 defeat).
8 intr. Computing (of a machine or system) fail suddenly.
9 tr. colloq. pass (a red traffic-light etc.).
10 intr. (often foll. by out) sl. sleep for a night, esp. in an improvised setting.
--n.
1 a a loud and sudden smashing noise (a thunder crash; the crash of crockery). b a breakage (esp. of crockery, glass, etc.).
2 a a violent collision, esp. of one vehicle with another or with an object. b the violent fall of an aircraft on to the land or sea.
3 ruin, esp. financial.
4 Computing a sudden failure which puts a system out of action.
5 (attrib.) done rapidly or urgently (a crash course in first aid).
--adv. with a crash (the window went crash).

Idiom

crash barrier a barrier intended to prevent a car from leaving the road etc. crash-dive
--v.
1 intr. a (of a submarine or its pilot) dive hastily and steeply in an emergency. b (of an aircraft or airman) dive and crash.
2 tr. cause to crash-dive.
--n. such a dive. crash-halt a sudden stop by a vehicle. crash-helmet a helmet worn esp. by a motorcyclist to protect the head in a crash. crash-land
1 intr. (of an aircraft or airman) land hurriedly with a crash, usu. without lowering the undercarriage.
2 tr. cause (an aircraft) to crash-land. crash landing a hurried landing with a crash. crash pad sl. a place to sleep, esp. in an emergency. crash-stop = crash-halt. crash-tackle Football a vigorous tackle.

crash, n. a coarse plain linen, cotton, etc., fabric.

Etymology

Russ. krashenina coloured linen

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THESAURUS

crash

Waterloo, a habit, accident, acquired tolerance, acute alcoholism, addictedness, addiction, alcoholism, amphetamine withdrawal symptoms, appulse, atomize, awake the dead, bang, bang into, bankruptcy, barbiturate addiction, barbiturism, barge in, be poised, be ruined, bear market, bearish market, beating, become insolvent, billow, blast, blast the ear, blow, boom, bouncing check, break, break in, break in upon, break into pieces, break to pieces, break up, breakdown, breaking up, breakup, brunt, bulldozing, bulling, bump, bump into, burst, burst in, bust, butt in, calamity, cannon, carambole, carom, carom into, cascade, casualty, catabasis, cataclysm, cataract, catastrophe, cave, cave-in, chain smoking, charge in, chronic alcoholism, chute, clap, clash, cocainism, collapse, collide, collision, comb, come between, come down, come into collision, comedown, concuss, concussion, confront each other, conquering, conquest, contretemps, crack, crack up, crack-up, crash in, crash into, crash the gates, craving, crawl in, creep in, crescendo, cropper, crowd in, crump, crunch, crush, cut in, cut to pieces, dash, dash into, deafen, deathblow, debacle, deceleration, declension, declination, decline, decline and fall, declining market, decrescendo, defeat, deflation, defluxion, demolish, dependence, descend, descending, descension, descent, destruction, diffuse, diminuendo, din, dip down, dipsomania, disaster, disperse, disrupt, dive, doss down, down, downbend, downcome, downcurve, downfall, downflow, downgrade, downpour, downrush, downtrend, downturn, downward trend, drive, drop, drop down, drop off, dropping, drubbing, drug addiction, drug culture, drug dependence, dwindling, ebb, ebb and flow, edge in, elbow in, encounter, encroach, entrench, explode, explosion, fail, failure, fall, fall dead, fall down, fall flat, fall foul of, fall in, fall off, fall short, fall stillborn, fall through, falling, fill the air, fission, flap, flop, foist in, fold, fold up, force, foul, fragment, go bankrupt, go broke, go down, go downhill, go into receivership, go to pot, go to smash, go under, go up, gravitate, gravitation, grief, grind, habituation, hammering, heave, hiding, hit, hit against, hit the hay, hit the sack, horn in, hurt, hurtle, ill hap, impact, impinge, impingement, impose, impose on, impose upon, inclination, infiltrate, infringe, insinuate, insolvency, insufficient funds, interfere, interlope, interpose, intervene, intrude, invade, irrupt, jar, jolt, kip down, kited check, knock, knock against, lambasting, lapse, lathering, licking, lift, lose altitude, make mincemeat of, mastery, mauling, meet, meeting, mince, misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap, nasty blow, near-miss, nicotine addiction, nose dive, obtrude, off market, onslaught, overcoming, overdraft, overdrawn account, overthrow, overturn, parachute, peak, peal, percuss, percussion, physical dependence, pileup, pitch, plummet, plummeting, plunge, popple, pounce, pour down, pratfall, precipitate, press in, psychological dependence, pulverize, push in, put on, put upon, quietus, rain, ramming, rap, rapids, rattle the windows, receivership, remission, rend the air, rend the ears, report, resound, retreat, retreating market, ring, rise, rise and fall, rock the sky, roll, ruin, run, run into, rush in, sack out, sack up, sag, sagging market, scatter, scend, send, shatter, shipwreck, shiver, shock, shut down, sideswipe, slam, slam into, slap, slat, sledgehammering, slink in, slip in, slowdown, slump, smack, smack into, smash, smash in, smash into, smash up, smash-up, smashing, smashup, sneak in, soft market, splat, splinter, split the eardrums, split the ears, squash, squeeze in, squish, staggering blow, startle the echoes, steal in, stoop, storm in, strike, strike against, stumble, stun, subdual, subduing, subjugation, subsidence, surge, swap, swell, swoop, tailspin, tap, thrashing, throng in, thrust in, thrusting, thunder, thwack, tolerance, topple, toss, total loss, tragedy, trench, trend downward, trespass, trimming, trouncing, tumble, turn in, undoing, undulate, vanquishment, wane, washout, waterfall, wave, whack, wham, whap, whipping, whomp, whop, withdrawal sickness, withdrawal symptoms, work in, worm in, wrack, wreck

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ROGET THESAURUS

crash

Destruction

N destruction, waste, dissolution, breaking up, diruption, disruption, consumption, disorganization, fall, downfall, devastation, ruin, perdition, crash, eboulement, smash, havoc, delabrement, debacle, break down, break up, fall apart, prostration, desolation, bouleversement, wreck, wrack, shipwreck, cataclysm, washout, extinction, annihilation, destruction of life, knock-down blow, doom, crack of doom, destroying, demolition, demolishment, overthrow, subversion, suppression, abolition, biblioclasm, sacrifice, ravage, razzia, inactivation, incendiarism, revolution, extirpation, beginning of the end, commencement de la fin, road to ruin, dilapidation, sabotage, destroyed, perishing, trembling to its fall, nodding to its fall, tottering to its fall, in course of destruction, extinct, all-destroying, all-devouring, all-engulfing, destructive, subversive, ruinous, devastating, incendiary, deletory, destroying, suicidal, deadly, with crushing effect, with a sledge hammer, delenda est Carthago, dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit, ecrasez l'infame.

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

Descent

VB descend, go down, drop down, come down, fall, gravitate, drop, slip, slide, rappel, settle, plunge, plummet, crash, decline, set, sink, droop, come down a peg, slump, dismount, alight, light, get down, swoop, stoop, fall prostrate, precipitate oneself, let fall, tumble, trip, stumble, titubate, lurch, pitch, swag, topple, topple over, tumble over, topple down, tumble down, tilt, sprawl, plump down, come down a cropper.

Snap

VB rap, snap, tap, knock, ping, click, clash, crack, crackle, crash, pop, slam, bang, blast, boom, clap, clang, clack, whack, wham, brustle, burst on the ear, crepitate, rump, blow up, blow, detonate.