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.
His fourth-inning home after striking out the last two batters in the top of the inning?
From Los Angeles Times
Still, striking out on one’s own has its perks, and Larsen and Akturk remain committed to keeping Tiny Chef cooking as long as they can.
From Los Angeles Times
He gave up just two hits over six total innings, striking out seven and walking two.
From Los Angeles Times
In scoring just one run while striking out 12 times over seven dazzling innings from Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage, the defending champions looked passive, uncertain and unable to adjust.
From Los Angeles Times
He went hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
