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to clash

to clash

18 3.2
To not look or work well together
  • verb
  • /klæʃ/
translation icon : chocar con
  • I want to make sure my outfit doesn't clash.

It's an expression of political systems clashing with each other for very selfish reasons.

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Examples

  • These were two visions of America clashing.

  • So if you are mixing two songs together that have clashing keys, it's going to sound bad.

    Blog text (23)
  • Now listen, initially that may not cause a clash, but in the long run, can you live with that?

  • I mean, it would clash with her whole bedroom motif.

  • And so you have America and Japan come clashing together in this one moment in history.

  • Some of these objects clash anachronistically with the picture's subject matter.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The trophy would just clash with your wallpaper, anyway.

  • The wallpaper in the sitting room really clashes with the carpet.

  • Cold air, unseasonably cold air coming down out of the northeast, clashing with this warm air mass.

  • The two teams clashed over their differing strategies during the meeting.

Synonyms

to conflict
vsto clash
135 4.1

To be against something or not agree with it

is about incompatibility among people, ideas, or things rather than other differences
to collide
vsto clash
33 4.4

Have ideas or interests that clash

is broader, covering people and things as well as abstract ideas
to disagree
vsto clash
23 1.6

Not match what another thing or person shows

is stronger, implying real incompatibility or coming into direct conflict
to feud
vsto clash
16 5.6

To have a long bitter argument with someone

is shorter or momentary incompatibility rather than a long bitter dispute
to butt heads
vsto clash
  • Informal
13 6.3

To argue strongly with each other

is less about personal argument and more about general incompatibility or mismatch

Antonyms

10 4.1

Make different things agree or work well together

Compounds

9.5

A hurling match between teams, named for wooden sticks called hurleys striking together

How Compatible

to agree
1.0
to match
841 1.0
to differ
152 2.6
to clash
18 3.2
to contradict
174 3.7

Surface Forms

clash infinitive
clashed past
clashed past participle
clashing present participle
clashes third person singular

Etymology

Clash meaning 'not match' comes from the image of two things 'hitting' in a bad way, like ideas or styles that do not fit. So when things clash they are incompatible and do not go well together.