on a collision course

idiom

: moving so as to crash into each other if one or the other does not change direction
The two airplanes were on a collision course.
often + with
The comet was on a collision course with the planet.
often used figuratively
The government's policies are putting us on a collision course with economic disaster.

Examples of on a collision course in a Sentence

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The pope, in his first address to world diplomats, said the dignity of migrants had to be respected, potentially putting himself on a collision course with the Trump administration, which has stepped up enforcement of immigration law, arguing voters' concerns on the topic have long been ignored. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 Because their orbits are unstable, a possibility exists – however remote – that the asteroids could break off from their current trajectory and one day head on a collision course for Earth. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 June 2025 But the bloc remains on a collision course with the Trump administration. David Brennan, ABC News, 29 May 2025 Now, this decade-long belief is being challenged by new research that suggests the Milky Way and Andromeda may not be on a collision course after all. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for on a collision course

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Cite this Entry

“On a collision course.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20a%20collision%20course. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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