crash-test

British

verb

(tr) to test (a new product) for safety and reliability by finding out its breaking point under pressure, heat, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For BMW, Mistral would build specific models that "understand the physics" of the vehicles and are intended to optimise crash-test procedures.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

It may seem ludicrous to risk a fast bowler with the injury history of a crash-test dummy when his first attempt at cricket in whites for 15 months resulted in a trip to hospital.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

“And tested the front wing. So crash-test done.”

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2024

“There have been a lot of changes. It is like comparing the crash-test ratings of a car from the 1960s with one from today.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022

“When you couldn’t use Cap as your clown, you tried to use him as your crash-test dummy. I’ve had it up to here with you, Zach Powers! You and I are through!”

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023