The word crash has several meanings:

1. A loud, violent sound of things breaking or colliding. When someone drops a stack of dishes, you hear a tremendous crash. Thunder creates a crashing sound during storms. The word captures that sudden, jarring noise of destruction.
2. To collide with great force, causing damage. A car might crash into a tree, or waves crash against rocky cliffs. In sports, hockey players crash into the boards. A crash is also the noun for such a collision: “The crash left debris scattered across the highway.”
3. To suddenly stop working. When a computer crashes, it freezes up and stops responding, often losing your unsaved work. Video games crash when they have serious errors. The frustration of a crash right before saving your progress is something every computer user knows.
4. To fall asleep suddenly from exhaustion. After staying up late studying, you might crash on the couch the next afternoon. It suggests collapsing into sleep rather than carefully getting ready for bed.
5. To enter without permission or invitation. Someone who crashes a party shows up uninvited, hoping to blend in. Party crashers sneak into celebrations they weren't invited to, which usually bothers the guests who planned the event.