strike out
Britishverb
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(tr) to remove or erase
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(intr) to start out or begin
to strike out on one's own
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baseball to put out or be put out on strikes
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informal (intr) to fail utterly
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Cancel or erase, as in Strike out that last sentence, please . [Early 1500s]
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Begin a course of action, set out energetically, as in Elaine was determined to strike out on her own . [Early 1700s]
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Fail in an endeavor, as in His latest business venture has struck out . This usage originated in baseball, where it refers to a batter's failure to put the ball in play ( Williams struck out three times in yesterday's game ), as well as to a pitcher's success in eliminating a batter ( Clemens struck him out again in the fourth inning ). [Late 1800s]
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.
Sheehan won a 14-pitch battle to strike out Ketel Marte.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Even if ambition results in a flop, it’s far more admirable to swing hard and strike out than it is to cower in the proverbial dugout.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
It’s time to strike out on your own.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Clarke is likely to drop a striker and bring in an extra midfielder to cope with Morocco's energy and class, to stifle while also retaining the capacity to strike out on their own.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
I had realized that we had come to the point of no return, the point where it was harder to try and fit in, than it was to strike out alone.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
