Meaning & use
rear ended
Last updated
“rear ended” is a form of “rear-end”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Hit the back of another vehicle with the front of your vehicle.
Grammar: Takes an object: rear-end a car. Often used in the passive: be rear-ended.
Patterns
- rear-end a car
- be rear-ended by someone
- rear-end someone
She rear-ended the car in front of her at the traffic light.
He was rear-ended by a truck on the highway.
If you rear-end another vehicle, you are usually at fault.
Word forms
| base form | rear-end |
|---|---|
| third person singular | rear-ends |
| past tense | rear-ended |
| past participle | rear-ended |
| -ing form | rear-ending |
Common combinations
- rear-end a car
- The driver wasn't paying attention and rear-ended a car at the stop sign.
- be rear-ended
- My car was rear-ended while I was parked.
- rear-end someone
- He rear-ended someone on the way to work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hit from behind
- This is a more general phrase that can describe any collision from behind, not just between vehicles.
Word family
- rear-end noun
- The back part of a vehicle; also used informally for a person's bottom.
Commonly confused: rear ended or rear-ended?
rear ended vs rear-ended
This is the past tense of 'rear-end'. Do not confuse with 'rear end', which is a noun meaning the back part of something.
Practice
What does 'rear-ended' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Rear-ended' means one vehicle hit the back of another. The other options describe different driving actions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rear ended”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.