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crash program

American

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of crash program

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

See Examples For:

crash program

“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

While some officials recognized the urgency of a crash program of testing and masks, “Kadlec had no money, no real emergency fund.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 24, 2023

I immediately embarked on a crash program to sharpen my tennis skills and get in shape, physically and mentally.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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