strike up
Britishverb
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(of a band, orchestra, etc) to begin to play or sing
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(tr) to bring about; cause to begin
to strike up a friendship
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(tr) to emboss (patterns, etc) on (metal)
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.
Sabatino wrote that, although he spoke little Spanish and El Chapo barely any English, they were able to strike up a friendship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
As a reporter sent to cover the story, I was lucky enough to strike up a great relationship with Anne.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
Expect to see additional such markets in your news coverage as more outlets strike up deals.
From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2025
They were less likely to strike up conversations with classmates or confide in dormmates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Each time a sparrow passed by he would grin vacantly and strike up his song.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
