English Reference

Phrasal verb

crash out

Definitions

01to fall asleep

B2

phr.v. to fall asleep very quickly because you are extremely tired.

phr.v. to fall asleep suddenly or deeply due to physical or mental exhaustion.

“I was so tired after the long hike that I crashed out on the sofa.”

“After finishing the double shift, he barely had enough energy to take off his boots before he crashed out on the bed.”

Informal

Synonyms

pass outconk out

Antonyms

02to lose a competition

B2 · Sport

phr.v. to be knocked out of a tournament or competition, usually in a disappointing way.

phr.v. to be eliminated from a sporting event or competition, often unexpectedly or in a dramatic fashion.

“The team crashed out of the cup in the very first round.”

“Despite being the tournament favorites, the defending champions crashed out in the quarter-finals after a series of defensive errors.”

Informal · British English

Synonyms

be eliminatedbe knocked out

Antonyms

03to lose one's temper

C1

phr.v. to suddenly become very angry or act in a wild, reckless way because of stress.

phr.v. to lose emotional control and react with sudden, disproportionate anger or reckless behavior.

“He really crashed out after his car got towed, shouting at everyone on the street.”

“The internet was flooded with clips of the streamer crashing out after losing his progress in the game for the third time that hour.”

Slang

Antonyms

keep calm

Teaching tip

distinguish between the literal 'exhaustion' sense and the modern slang sense of 'losing it' or 'failing'; the latter is very popular with Gen Z and Alpha learners.

Phrasal verb

Particles

out

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

crash + out

Synonyms

Antonyms

wake upstay calmsucceed

Related words

Grammar

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/crash-out

English Reference