Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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.

I was always amazed at the ability of my husband’s parents to strike up conversations with total strangers any time in almost any place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Expect to see additional such markets in your news coverage as more outlets strike up deals.

From Slate • Dec. 10, 2025

Abruptly, pipers strike up and soldiers stream by.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2025

It was Steves who first gave me the confidence to get lost, to strike up conversations, to stand still for a while in one place rather than tickling off landmarks on a list.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025

And they strike up a conversation like they been waiting for her.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

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.