strike down
Britishverb
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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]
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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.
The Utah Supreme Court would probably strike down the law when the case was before it again down the line.
From Slate • May 4, 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
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 court has applied this legal principle for decades, including in 2000 to strike down the Food and Drug Administration’s move to regulate nicotine as a “drug.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
Some would not have hesitated to strike down the Shavepate as a traitor.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
