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Synonyms

strike down

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to cause to die, esp suddenly

    he was struck down in his prime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

strike down Idioms  
  1. Fell with a blow or misfortune, as in The tree was struck down by lightning , or He was struck down by tuberculosis while in his twenties . [Late 1400s]

  2. Render ineffective, cancel, especially in a legal context. For example, The appeals court struck down the verdict . [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.

Michael Burns made a bet that the Supreme Court would strike down some of the Trump administration’s tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The group predicted US tariffs would cost it 1.2 billion euros for 2025 and 1.6 billion for 2026, despite the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down Trump's levies.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Supreme Court’s decision to strike down levies issued under emergency powers, Allianz analysts wrote in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

The lawmakers had unanimously voted to strike down the martial law attempt, and within another three hours Yoon had backed down.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

The idea is, the long pulpit puts the harpooner right over the fish so he can strike down at them before they feel the boat.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick