The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.9 percent, the broad S&P 500 index fell 2.4 percent and the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 2.8 percent.
Aircraft giant Boeing did worst on the Dow, according to CNBC, with a drop of 4.2 percent.
Among S&P, casino companies were among the big losers, with Las Vegas Sands, among others, backing 5.6 percent.
Several of the tech giants also struggled, including Meta, which fell 6.4 percent, and Amazon, which closed at minus 4.2 percent.
Thursday’s stock market crash comes ahead of an important US inflation report that will be released on Friday.