prang
Americanverb (used with object)
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to collide with; bump into.
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to destroy or severely damage by a bombing raid; bomb (an enemy target).
-
to destroy or shoot down (an enemy aircraft).
noun
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an accident or crash in an aircraft, car, etc
-
an aircraft bombing raid
-
an achievement
verb
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to crash or damage (an aircraft, car, etc)
-
to damage (a town, etc) by bombing
Etymology
Origin of prang
First recorded in 1930–35; imitative
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.
While the first season, released in 2023, followed a row between strangers after a prang in a parking lot, the second focuses on bust-ups between people who are closer to home.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
"Sitting overhead, it can tell you straight away whether you're talking about a major road traffic collision that requires three fire engines and four ambulances, or whether it's a minor prang and someone's getting over-excited."
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2023
The word can be used to describe any crash — you could prang a dockless scooter, for instance — but Answer Man has mostly heard it used with airplanes and sports cars.
From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2018
He didn't prang a car or photo-copy his bum at the office party.
From The Guardian • Aug. 30, 2014
I am always so amazed at the way they flare and touch down—never a bounce or a prang.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
