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.
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
Was it more fun to watch the Dodger offense return to form or to watch spoiled kid Pete Crow-Armstrong strike out four times on Saturday?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
With that, most every scholar in Zosma was ready to pack a trunk and strike out for the Elmuthaleth.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
