strategize
Americanverb (used without object)
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."
Vocabulary lists containing strategize
Academic Vocabulary and Literary Terms, Unit 1
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Academic and Literary Vocabulary, Unit 2
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The Black Girl Survives in This One
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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.
See Examples For:
They also make it exceedingly difficult for pro se petitioners filing on their own behalf to strategize the best approach and avoid being procedurally barred.
From Slate ● May 29, 2026
Stolz, who did not have an American teammate in the final to help him strategize, said the rest of the pack was reluctant to make a move on the leaders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026
Steeped in risk analysis and game theory, they strategize every possible scenario, promising that no matter what happens, we’ll be all right.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
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
As the Japanese tightened their grip on the Philippines, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered General MacArthur to leave the Philippines and relocate to Australia so General MacArthur could regroup, strategize, and return, ready to fight.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
Asked if a triple play even crossed his mind as he strategized for the Rojas at-bat, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “No, not at all.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2024
Schmeltz, who is one of the leaders of the national Jewish on Campus Student Union, said the group has strategized on how to respond as protests multiplied.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
Probably a person who led the chariots into battle or a person who strategized a war.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
Those supports are a vital part of a long-term-care plan, and could do more to help stretch funds than any shuffling around of index funds or tax strategizing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
He acts as an eagle eye, not playing the game himself, but watching and strategizing to give them the best chance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
Michel, whose work required overseeing and strategizing on website content, has been here before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 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
Cleopatra, who would be financing the expedition, may have helped with the strategizing, too.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
