1 A2 idiomatic informal
To sleep at someone else's home informally, often at short notice and without a bed.
"I missed the last train, so I crashed in at Marcus's place for the night."
inseparable
crash in
B1 informal inseparable intransitive
To sleep at someone's home informally and without prior arrangement; or to enter a place suddenly and forcefully.
In plain English
To sleep at a friend's house without planning to, or to burst into a room suddenly.
What does "crash in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To enter a place suddenly, noisily, or without permission.
"The police crashed in through the front door before anyone could react."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To crash means to collide; 'in' suggests entering a space — as if moving so fast you crash through the entry.
Actually means
To sleep at a friend's house without planning to, or to burst into a room suddenly.
Usage tip
The 'sleep informally' sense is very common among young people. The 'enter forcefully' sense overlaps with 'crash into' or 'burst in'. Common in British and American English.
Words that pair with "crash in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
sofa friend's place floor door bedroom apartment
How to conjugate "crash in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
crash in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
crashes in
he/she/it
Past simple
crashed in
yesterday
Past participle
crashed in
have + pp
-ing form
crashing in
continuous
Hear "crash in" in the wild
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Other ways to say "crash in"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
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