Dash vs. Smash — What's the Difference?

The dash is a punctuation mark that is similar in appearance to the hyphen and minus sign but differs from these symbols in length and, in some fonts, height above the baseline. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash –, longer than the hyphen; the em dash —, longer than the en dash; and the horizontal bar ―, whose length varies across typefaces but tends to be between those of the en and em dashes.

To break (something) into pieces suddenly, noisily, and violently; shatter.

Run or travel somewhere in a great hurry

To render (something) into a mush or pulp, as by throwing or crushing

Strike or fling (something) somewhere with great force, especially so as to have a destructive effect; hurl

To strike with a heavy blow or impact

Used to express mild annoyance

(Sports) To hit (a ball, puck, or shuttlecock) in a forceful overhand stroke.

An act of running somewhere suddenly and hastily

To cause to come into forceful contact with something

A small quantity of a liquid added to something else

To crush or destroy completely

A horizontal stroke in writing or printing to mark a pause or break in sense or to represent omitted letters or words.

To surpass or outdo by a large margin

Impetuous or flamboyant vigour and confidence; panache

To move and strike or collide suddenly, noisily, and violently

Short for dashboard

To break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow or collision

To move with haste; rush

(Sports) To hit a ball, puck, or shuttlecock in a forceful overhand stroke.

To strike violently; smash

To go bankrupt.

To break or smash by striking violently

A heavy blow or collision

To hurl, knock, or thrust with sudden violence

(Sports) A forceful overhand stroke, as in tennis or badminton.

To remove by striking or wiping

A violent breaking of something or the noise made by such breaking

To splash; bespatter

Total defeat or destruction; ruin.

To write hastily. Often used with off

Financial failure; bankruptcy.

To drink hastily. Often used with down

A drink made of mint, sugar, soda water, and alcoholic liquor, usually brandy.

To add an enlivening or altering element to

A soft drink made of crushed fruit.

To affect by adding another element or ingredient to

(Informal) A resounding success

To destroy or wreck

Of, relating to, or being a resounding success

To discourage or dispirit

With a sudden violent crash.

To damn.

The sound of a violent impact; a violent striking together.

A swift, violent blow or stroke

A traffic collision.

A splash

(colloquial) Something very successful or popular (as music, food, fashion, etc).

A small amount of an added ingredient

(tennis) A very hard overhead shot hit sharply downward.

A quick stroke, as with a pencil or brush.

A bankruptcy.

A sudden movement; a rush

A disaster; a bad situation.

(Sports) A footrace, usually less than a quarter-mile long, run at top speed from the outset.

A mashed foodstuff.

A spirited quality in action or style; verve.

A kind of julep cocktail containing chunks of fresh fruit that can be eaten after finishing the drink.

Either of two symbols, an emdash or an endash, used in writing and in printing.

Airspeed; dynamic pressure.

In Morse and similar codes, the long sound or signal used in combination with the dot and silent intervals to represent letters or numbers.

(transitive) To break (something brittle) violently.

A dashboard.

(intransitive) To be destroyed by being smashed.

(typography) Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).

(transitive) To hit extremely hard.

(computing) A hyphen or minus sign.

To ruin completely and suddenly.

(by extension) The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.

To defeat overwhelmingly; to gain a comprehensive success over.

A short run, flight.

To deform through continuous pressure.

A rushing or violent onset.

To have sexual intercourse with.

Violent strike; a whack.

To break in pieces by violence; to dash to pieces; to crush.

A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.

To hit (the ball) from above the level of the net with a very hard overhand stroke.

A slight admixture.

To break up, or to pieces suddenly, as the result of collision or pressure.

Ostentatious vigor.

A breaking or dashing to pieces; utter destruction; wreck.

A dashboard.

Hence, bankruptcy.

A bribe or gratuity; a gift.

A vigorous blow;

A stand-in for a censored word, like "Devil" or "damn". (Compare deuce.)

A serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)

The dashboard of a Tumblr user.

A hard return hitting the tennis ball above your head

(intransitive) To run quickly or for a short distance.

The act of colliding with something;

To leave or depart.

A conspicuous success;

(transitive) To destroy by striking (against).

Hit hard;

(transitive) To throw violently.

Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over;

To sprinkle; to splatter.

Reduce to bankruptcy;

To mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality.

Hit violently;

To ruin; to destroy.

Humiliate or depress completely;

(transitive) To dishearten; to sadden.

Damage or destroy as if by violence;

To complete hastily.

Hit (a tennis ball) in a powerful overhead stroke

(transitive) To draw or write quickly; jot.

Collide or strike violently and suddenly;

Damn in forming oaths.

Overthrow or destroy (something considered evil or harmful);

(euphemistic) Damn!

Break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow;

To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; - often used with against.

With a loud crash;

To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin.

To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to depress.

To throw in or on in a rapid, careless manner; to mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality; to overspread partially; to bespatter; to touch here and there; as, to dash wine with water; to dash paint upon a picture.

To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute rapidly, or with careless haste; - with off; as, to dash off a review or sermon.

To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; - with out; as, to dash out a word.

To rush with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.

Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.

A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his hopes received a dash.

A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a dash of purple.

A rapid movement, esp. one of short duration; a quick stroke or blow; a sudden onset or rush; as, a bold dash at the enemy; a dash of rain.

Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.

A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash.

A mark or line [-], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis.

The sign of staccato, a small mark [ ] denoting that the note over which it is placed is to be performed in a short, distinct manner.

A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; - used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.

Distinctive and stylish elegance;

A quick run

A footrace run at top speed;

A punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text

The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code

The act of moving with great haste;

Run or move very quickly or hastily;

Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over;

Hurl or thrust violently;

Destroy or break;

Cause to lose courage;

Add an enlivening or altering element to;