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

"He could, and should, have acted differently" when his ship was on "an obvious collision course" with the tanker, Little told the trial.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

That ruling likely sets the San Francisco case on a collision course with other lawsuits seeking to curb ICE’s incursions into spaces previously considered off-limits.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

Just as the parade reaches City Hall, another parade is on a slow-motion collision course with our own.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

It was a delusion that would put me on a collision course with reality at the US Secret Classic meet the following July.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles