crash program

American  

noun

1. a plan of action entailing rapid and intensive production, growth, or the like, undertaken to meet a deadline or solve a pressing problem.

   a crash program to develop a new fighter plane.

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Etymology

Origin of crash program

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

“They cause hundreds of injuries, and have resulted in massive numbers of claims and payouts in settlements. LA City Officials must act now to jumpstart a crash program to fix these sidewalks.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

That would take significantly more time than building a bulky, crude nuclear device in a monthslong crash program, experts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Manhattan Project, the World War II–era crash program to build the first-ever atomic bombs.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2023

Much of the pain and disruption that will result from the now-necessary crash program would have been avoided.

From Washington Post • Apr. 30, 2023

This led to the formation of a microwave committee with Loomis as chairman and Lawrence as a member, and in turn to the NDRC’s subsequent decision to establish a crash program at MIT.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik