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strike up

British  

verb

  1. (of a band, orchestra, etc) to begin to play or sing

  2. (tr) to bring about; cause to begin

    to strike up a friendship

  3. (tr) to emboss (patterns, etc) on (metal)

"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

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.

Gerrard forged a deadly partnership with Torres between 2007 and 2011 - and Florian Wirtz and Ekitike are starting to strike up a similar understanding.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 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

The two strike up a conversation, and Matthew is inducted into Oliver’s inner circle almost overnight.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2025

Then John decided to strike up a conversation with the gorilla.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

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.