# crash out

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crash-out
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to fall asleep

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to fall asleep very quickly because you are extremely tired.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to lose a competition

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · British English

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to lose one's temper

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Slang

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- I was so tired after the hike that I crashed out at 8 p.m.
- After studying for twelve hours straight, he just crashed out on the sofa without even taking his shoes off.
- The athlete appeared to crash out during the final lap, losing his lead and eventually finishing last in a surprising turn of events.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.