strategize

American  

[strat-i-jahyz] / ˈstræt ɪˌdʒaɪz /

especially British, strategise

verb (used without object)

strategized, strategizing

1. to make up or determine strategy; plan.

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Usage

What does strategize mean? To strategize is to plan or create a plan or strategy for a specific reason or goal. A strategy is a plan for a course of action, especially one that prepares for multiple scenarios or situations. Strategize is commonly used in any context that involves extensive planning, especially the military, business, politics, and sports. Example: One candidate had clearly strategized before the debate and knew how to answer every question and respond to every attack. The other candidate was obviously winging it.

Etymology

Origin of strategize

First recorded in 1970–75; strateg(y) + -ize

Explanation

When you work on a plan with the aim of achieving a goal, you strategize. If you don't strategize before the big debate, you'll probably be unprepared and unconvincing. You and your sister should strategize before presenting your proposal for higher allowances to your mom. That means you'll come up with a game plan to achieve your goal: convincing her that ten dollars a week makes sense. Chess players strategize too, studying the board for possible moves and planning ahead to ultimately put their opponent's king in check mate. Strategize and strategy were first used as military terminology, from a root meaning "military commander."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

strategize strategized strategizing

Aguirre will have to strategize with an eye toward what lies ahead in the next round, which is a single-elimination format.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Inside a glass-encased building in downtown Washington, D.C., this past week, a group of experts hunkered down to strategize how to avoid the AI apocalypse that many doomsayers predict.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

His law firm had invented “Mass Torts Made Perfect” and ran it as a conference for elite plaintiffs’ attorneys nationwide to rub elbows and strategize, making him the unofficial president of the polo club posse.

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

A new levies strategy from the U.S. government may create a new set of challenges for companies—and spur more costly legal bills as businesses strategize around new tariff authorities.

From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025

I am enjoying a bit of quietude in my private toilet right now to strategize for the next undertaking.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

And they strategized to boost the influence of those ideas in the global policy response to climate change.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ariane strategized with Epstein on pushing back, and thrust the matter into public view by filing a lawsuit in 2015 to control using the name in finance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

For months this winter, they strategized ways to woo the two-time American League MVP to Chavez Ravine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024

Jarosz hadn’t strategized the bold sound of the album; it grew out of her collaborations.

From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

I recorded everyone’s techniques, and I strategized how best to beat them.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

When they haven’t been loudly booing, many fans have noticed that teams often appear to spend as much time strategizing during the pauses as they do hydrating.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Sometimes, that kind of strategizing goes both ways.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

He posited that if AI comes to shape too much of game-day strategizing, “We can just play the game without the players and coaches,” almost as if the “Madden NFL” videogame replaced the actual NFL.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 6, 2026

He posited that if AI comes to shape too much of game-day strategizing, “We can just play the game without the players and coaches,” almost as if the “Madden NFL” videogame replaced the actual NFL.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 6, 2026

Everyone cleared out, but Principal DeShields hovered outside the doorway, probably mentally strategizing damage control.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson