collision course

American  

noun

1. a course or path of a vehicle, projectile, etc., that, if unchanged, will lead to a collision with another object.

2. any plan, attitude, or course of action that leads to a confrontation or conflict with another.

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Etymology

Origin of collision course

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

European and American mores on speech are on a collision course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

"In other words, if two aircraft had been on a collision course, controllers would not have been able to give them instructions," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chose a remote Texas outpost on the Gulf Coast to develop his company’s ambitious Starship, he put the 400-foot rocket on a collision course with the commercial airline industry.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

England and Ireland would also be kept apart from each other until the semis, while the Springboks and All Blacks would be on a quarter-final collision course, ensuring one would fall before the last four.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

We both knew that we were on a collision course.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane