on strike

Idioms

Engaged in a work stoppage, as in The auto workers were on strike for the entire summer. The use of strike for a concerted labor stoppage undertaken to gain concessions from employers dates from the early 1800s. Today it is also used more loosely, as in Where washing dishes is concerned, Mom has announced that she's on strike. Also see go out, def. 4.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1994, the last time MLB proposed one, the players went on strike, and the World Series was not played.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

"I was listening to this and thinking that was when we had a fantastic baker and then he left... and then the chef went on strike about making the bread," said Leith.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

And Ubisoft faces rising discontent among French employees, hundreds of whom went on strike in February over new restrictions on working from home.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Long Island Rail Road employees went on strike Saturday over a wage dispute, shutting down operations for the country’s busiest commuter railroad.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

Ever since I was four, when I tried to organize my fellow preschoolers into going on strike for better cookies at snack time, I’ve had the same problem.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023