Synonyms

strike

American

[strahyk] / straɪk /

verb (used with object)

to deal a blow or stroke to (a person or thing), as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; hit.

Antonyms:

miss
to inflict, deliver, or deal (a blow, stroke, attack, etc.).
to drive so as to cause impact.

to strike the hands together.
to thrust forcibly.

Brutus struck a dagger into the dying Caesar.
to produce (fire, sparks, light, etc.) by percussion, friction, etc.
to cause (a match) to ignite by friction.
(of some natural or supernatural agency) to smite or blast.

Lightning struck the spire. May God strike you dead!
to come into forcible contact or collision with; hit into or against.

The ship struck a rock.
to reach or fall upon (the senses), as light or sound.

A shrill peal of bells struck their ears.
to enter the mind of; occur to.

A happy thought struck him.
to catch or arrest (the sight, hearing, etc.).

the first object that strikes one's eye.
to impress strongly.

a picture that strikes one's fancy.
to impress in a particular manner.

How does it strike you?
to come across, meet with, or encounter suddenly or unexpectedly.

to strike the name of a friend in a newspaper.
to come upon or find (oil, ore, etc.) in drilling, prospecting, or the like.
to send down or put forth (a root), as a plant or cutting.
to arrive at or achieve by or as by balancing.

to strike a balance; to strike a compromise.
to take apart or pull down (a structure or object, as a tent).
to remove from the stage (the scenery and properties of an act or scene).

to strike a set.
Nautical.
1. to lower or take down (a sail, mast, etc.).
2. to lower (a sail, flag, etc.) as a salute or as a sign of surrender.
3. to lower (something) into the hold of a vessel by means of a rope and tackle.
Falconry. to loosen (a hood) from the head of a hawk so that it may be instantly removed.
Angling.
1. to hook (a fish that has taken the bait) by making a sharp jerk on the line.
2. (of a fish) to snatch at (the bait).
to harpoon (a whale).
(in technical use) to make level or smooth.
to make level or even, as a measure of grain or salt, by drawing a strickle across the top.
to efface, cancel, or cross out, with or as with the stroke of a pen (usually followed byout ).

to strike a passage out of a book.
to impress or stamp (a coin, medal, etc.) by printing or punching.

to strike a medal in commemoration.
to remove or separate with or as if with a cut (usually followed byoff ).

Illness struck him off from social contacts. The butcher struck off a chop.
Masonry. to finish (a mortar joint) with a stroke of the trowel.
to indicate (the hour of day) by a stroke or strokes, as a clock.

to strike 12.
to afflict suddenly, as with disease, suffering, or death (often followed bydown ).

The plague struck Europe. Apoplexy struck him down.
to overwhelm emotionally, as with terror or fear; affect deeply.
to make blind, dumb, etc., suddenly, as if by a blow.
to implant or induce (a feeling).

to strike fear into a person.
to start or move suddenly into (vigorous movement).

The horse struck a gallop.
to assume (an attitude or posture).

He likes to strike a noble pose.
to cause (chill, warmth, etc.) to pass or penetrate quickly.
to come upon or reach in traveling or in a course of procedure.

We struck Rome before dark.
to make, conclude, or ratify (an agreement, treaty, etc.).
to estimate or determine (a mean or average).
to leave off (work) or stop (working) as a coercive measure, or as at the close of the day.
(of a union or union member)
1. to declare or engage in a suspension of (work) until an employer grants certain demands, such as pay increases, an improved pension plan, etc.
2. to declare or engage in a suspension of work against (a factory, employer, industry, etc.) until certain demands are met.
to draw (a straight line); paint the edge of an area with (a regular, usually straight line).
Law. to choose (a jury) from a panel by striking off names until only the required number remains.

verb (used without object)

to deal or aim a blow or stroke, as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer.
to make an attack, especially a planned military assault.

Our troops struck at dawn.
to knock, rap, or tap.
to hit or dash on or against something, as a moving body does; come into forcible contact; collide.
to run upon a bank, rock, or other obstacle, as a ship does.
to fall, as light or sound does (followed by on orupon ).
to make an impression on the mind, senses, etc., as something seen or heard.
to come suddenly or unexpectedly (usually followed by on orupon ).

to strike on a new way of doing a thing.
to sound by percussion.

The clock strikes.
to be indicated by or as by such percussion.

The hour has struck.
to ignite or be ignited by friction, as a match.
to make a stroke, as with the arms or legs in swimming or with an oar in rowing.
to produce a sound, music, etc., by touching a string or playing upon an instrument.
to take root, as a slip of a plant.
to go, proceed, or advance, especially in a new direction.

They struck out at dawn. They struck toward a new town.
1. U.S. Army. to act as a voluntary paid servant to a commissioned officer.
2. U.S. Navy. to work hard: strive (followed byfor ).
  
  He is striking for yeoman.
(of a union or union member) to engage in a suspension of work until an employer or industry meets certain demands.
Nautical.
1. to lower the flag or colors, especially as a salute or as a sign of surrender.
2. to run up the white flag of surrender.
Angling. (of fish) to swallow or take the bait.

noun

an act or instance of striking.
a concerted stopping of work or withdrawal of workers' services, as to compel an employer to accede to workers' demands or in protest against terms or conditions imposed by an employer.
a temporary stoppage of something.
Also called strike plate. a metal plate on a jamb holding the bolt of the lock on a door when closed.
Baseball.
1. a pitch that is swung at and missed by the batter.
2. a pitch that passes through the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.
3. a foul tip caught by the catcher when there are already two strikes against the batter.
4. a foul bunt when there are already two strikes against the batter.
5. a ball hit foul and not caught on the fly when there are less than two strikes against the batter.
Bowling.
1. the knocking down of all of the pins with the first bowl.
2. the score so made.
Horology. the striking mechanism of a timepiece.
Brewing. the degree of excellence or strength of beer, ale, etc.
Angling.
1. a sharp jerk on the line, made in order to set the hook in the mouth of the fish.
2. a pull on the line, made by the fish in the process of taking the bait.
Coining. a quantity of coins struck at one time.
Geology.
1. the direction of the line formed by the intersection of the bedding plane of a bed or stratum of sedimentary rock with a horizontal plane.
2. the direction or trend of a structural feature, as an anticlinal axis or the lineation resulting from metamorphism.
the discovery of a rich vein or ore in mining, of petroleum in boring, etc.
Military. a planned attack, especially by aircraft, on a target.

adjective

Military. describing a fighter-bomber aircraft designed to carry large payloads at high speeds and low altitudes and also to engage in air-to-air combat.

verb phrase

strike off
1. Printing. to print.
  
  They struck off 300 copies of the book.
2. to remove or cancel, as from a record, list, etc..
  
  His name was struck off the waiting list.
3. to produce rapidly and easily.
  
  She struck off several letters and had no more work to do.
4. to depart rapidly.
  
  We struck off for the country.
strike in to interrupt suddenly; intervene.

I struck in with a suggestion.
strike up
1. to begin to play or to sing.
  
  The orchestra struck up a waltz.
2. to set in operation; begin.
  
  Strike up the band!
3. to bring into being; commence; begin.
  
  to strike up an acquaintance with new neighbors.
strike out
1. Baseball. to put out or be put out by a strike-out.
  
  The pitcher walked two and struck out three. He struck out twice in three times at bat.
2. (of a person or effort) to fail.
  
  His next two business ventures struck out.
3. to lose favor.
4. to erase; cross out.
5. to set forth; venture forth.
  
  She struck out on her own at the age of 18.

idioms

strike oil. oil.
strike home,
1. to deal an effective blow, hit a vulnerable part, or wound critically or mortally.
  
  The second arrow struck home.
2. to have the intended effect; hit the mark.
  
  The sermon on Christian charity struck home.
on strike, engaged in a stoppage of work, services, or other activities, as by union workers to get better wages.
strike camp, to dismantle and pack up equipment; prepare to move on; break camp.

The army struck camp and moved on.
strike it rich,
1. to come upon a valuable mineral or oil deposit.
2. to have sudden or unexpected financial success.
  
  She struck it rich in real estate.
strike hands, to conclude a bargain, as by shaking or joining hands; confirm an agreement.

They reached a price satisfactory to both of them, and struck hands on it.
have two strikes against one, to be in an unfavorable or a critical position.

His age and his lack of education are two strikes against him in his search for a job.

strike British

/ straɪk /

verb

to deliver (a blow or stroke) to (a person)
to come or cause to come into sudden or violent contact (with)
(tr) to make an attack on
to produce (fire, sparks, etc) or (of fire, sparks, etc) to be produced by ignition
to cause (a match) to light by friction or (of a match) to be lighted
to press (the key of a piano, organ, etc) or to sound (a specific note) in this or a similar way
to indicate (a specific time) by the sound of a hammer striking a bell or by any other percussive sound
(of a venomous snake) to cause injury by biting
(tr) to affect or cause to affect deeply, suddenly, or radically, as if by dealing a blow

her appearance struck him as strange
I was struck on his art
to render incapable or nearly so

she was stricken with grief
(tr) to enter the mind of

it struck me that he had become very quiet
to render

I was struck dumb
(tr) to be perceived by; catch

the glint of metal struck his eye
to arrive at or come upon (something), esp suddenly or unexpectedly

to strike the path for home
to strike upon a solution
to set (out) or proceed, esp upon a new course

to strike for the coast
(tr; usually passive) to afflict with a disease, esp unexpectedly

he was struck with polio when he was six
(tr) to discover or come upon a source of (ore, petroleum, etc)
(tr) (of a plant) to produce or send down (a root or roots)
(tr) to take apart or pack up; break (esp in the phrase strike camp )
(tr) to take down or dismantle (a stage set, formwork, etc)
(tr) nautical
1. to lower or remove (a specified piece of gear)
2. to haul down or dip (a flag, sail, etc) in salute or in surrender
3. to lower (cargo, etc) into the hold of a ship
to attack (an objective) with the intention of causing damage to, seizing, or destroying it
to impale the hook in the mouth of (a fish) by suddenly tightening or jerking the line after the bait or fly has been taken
(tr) to form or impress (a coin, metal, etc) by or as if by stamping
to level (a surface) by use of a flat board
(tr) to assume or take up (an attitude, posture, etc)
(intr) (of workers in a factory, etc) to cease work collectively as a protest against working conditions, low pay, etc
(tr) to reach by agreement

to strike a bargain
(tr) to form (a jury, esp a special jury) by cancelling certain names among those nominated for jury service until only the requisite number remains See also special jury
(tr) rowing to make (a certain number of strokes) per minute

Oxford were striking 38
to make a stroke or kick in swimming
(tr) (in Malaysia) to win (a lottery or raffle)
1. to deliver an effective blow
2. to achieve the intended effect
to have some good luck
informal
1. to discover an extensive deposit of a mineral, petroleum, etc
2. to have an unexpected financial success

"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

noun

an act or instance of striking
a cessation of work by workers in a factory, industry, etc, as a protest against working conditions or low pay

the workers are on strike again
a military attack, esp an air attack on a surface target

air strike
baseball a pitched ball judged good but missed or not swung at, three of which cause a batter to be out
Also called: ten-strike. tenpin bowling
1. the act or an instance of knocking down all the pins with the first bowl of a single frame
2. the score thus made Compare spare
a sound made by striking
the mechanism that makes a clock strike
the discovery of a source of ore, petroleum, etc
the horizontal direction of a fault, rock stratum, etc, which is perpendicular to the direction of the dip
angling the act or an instance of striking
the number of coins or medals made at one time
another name for strickle
informal an unexpected or complete success, esp one that brings financial gain
cricket (of a batsman) to prepare to play a ball delivered by the bowler

"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

strike Scientific

/ strīk /

The course or bearing of a structural surface, such as an inclined bed or a fault plane, as it intersects a horizontal plane.
See illustration at dip

strike Cultural

A concerted refusal by employees in a particular business or industry to work. Its goal is usually to force employers to meet demands respecting wages and other working conditions.

strike More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing strike

go out (on strike)
happy medium, strike a
lightning never strikes twice
on strike
two strikes against

Usage

What does strike mean? Strike means to hit or deal a blow with a fist or object. When you strike something, you are hitting it or impacting it with something, as in a boxer striking their opponent or a kid striking a piñata. An object can also strike another object, like a meteor striking the ground. A strike can also be the act of hitting or dealing a blow, as in The strike from the wrecking ball caused the entire wall to collapse. Strike has many different meanings that often involve something coming into physical or metaphorical contact with something else. For example, you can get struck by lightning or a good idea might strike your mind. Workers are said to strike or go on strike when they refuse to work until their demands are met. This kind of collective refusal by workers is called a strike. Example: The boxer was known for striking his opponents just before the bell struck.

Synonym Usage

Strike, hit, knock imply suddenly bringing one body in contact with another. Strike suggests such an action in a general way: to strike a child. Hit is less formal than strike, and often implies giving a single blow, but usually a strong one and definitely aimed: to hit a baseball. To knock is to strike, often with a tendency to displace the object struck; it also means to strike repeatedly: to knock someone down; to knock at a door. See also beat.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

strikes

plural

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of strike

First recorded before 1000; 1760–70 strike for def. 65; (for the verb) Middle English striken “to stroke, beat, cross out,” Old English strīcan “to stroke, make level”; cognate with German streichen; (for the noun) Middle English: “unit of dry measure” (i.e., “something leveled off”; see strick), derivative of the verb; akin to streak, stroke ¹

Explanation

At its most basic, strike means to hit. If you strike someone, you hit them with your hand or a weapon. If lightning strikes, it makes contact. If you strike out on a trip, you're "hitting" the road. If you strike gold, you've "struck it rich"! Strike can also mean not to hit, as in miss –– as in "three strikes and you're out." That meaning might have evolved from strike meaning to cross off, as in "If you don't come to practice, coach will strike your name from the starting lineup." It might also have led to the idea of a labor strike. If employees want to protest their work conditions, they go on strike, or refuse to work until conditions improve.

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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.

See Examples For:

strike strikes strook struck stricken striking

Hundreds of small businesses saw their inventories wiped out in the strike, triggering angry comments on social media.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended a 26-day hunger strike in support of the movement late Thursday, said the government had assured him that no action would be taken against peaceful demonstrators.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Greenberg said Cricket Australia was trying to strike a balance between marking a significant milestone in the history of Test cricket and ensuring the longer format continued to move with the times.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

MLB rules stipulate that batters must be alert and engaged with the pitcher when the clock reaches eight seconds or else they will receive a strike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

But despite their scientific equipment, experts still couldn’t predict exactly when or where a tornado would strike.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Traders are also growing increasingly nervous that renewed strikes between US and Iranian forces could reignite inflation as oil prices creep higher.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Overnight in the region, the U.S. military wrapped up its 12th straight day of strikes hitting the same sorts of targets—missile and drone facilities, operation centers and military infrastructure—that it has been hitting for weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The latest strikes bring further uncertainty to investors as to when shipping might resume at more typical levels through the Strait of Hormuz, with peace talks between Washington and Tehran no longer seeming imminent.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil prices - rose more than 5% on Thursday after several days of increases as the US stepped up military strikes against Iran.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The strikes would open the public’s and the press’s eyes to the plight of America’s laborers.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

An' this very blessed mornin' av light I was strook onsensible an' left a livin' corpse, an' my lodgin's penethrated an' all the thruck mishandled an' bruk up behind me back.

From Martin Hewitt, Investigator by Morrison, Arthur

When such music sweet Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger strook; Divinely-warbled voice Answering the stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took.

From The Hundred Best English Poems by Gowans, Adam L. (Adam Luke)

To the Count’s door rode Sir Niels, Ne’er from that withdrew his look; Thrice thereon with iron lance Heavily the hero strook.

From Niels Ebbesen and Germand Gladenswayne two ballads by Borrow, George Henry

It is more safe to sleep, to read a book, The Thracian harp with cunning to have strook.

From The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) by Bullen, A. H. (Arthur Henry)

The dreadful’st Foe their Engines must subdue, The strongest Rock through which their Arts must hew, Was great Barzillai: could they reach his Head, Their Fears all husht, they had strook Danger dead.

From Anti-Achitophel (1682) Three Verse Replies to Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden by Jones, Harold Whitmore

Saudi Arabia confirmed the Encelia had been struck, without commenting on the other tanker.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Some offloaded their claims before the Supreme Court struck down global tariffs this year to escape the limbo of when or if any money would arrive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

While behind the wheel, the suspect allegedly struck a Long Beach Fire Department vehicle that was transporting a patient, the Police Department said in an emailed statement to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

And unlike similar agreements that the U.S. had struck with dozens of other countries, this one seemed unconditional.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

As we swam on, it struck me how we humans always found things mystical till we could explain them.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

We still don’t know what exactly is driving our national outbreak of cyclosporiasis, the parasitic infection that has stricken thousands of Americans with explosive diarrhea.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

In neighbouring Gwynedd, two young boys were praised after taking it upon themselves to direct cars through the village of Llanbedr, which has been stricken with traffic problems for decades.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Public alarm over the illness began to grow following reports that three passengers died aboard the stricken vessel, MV Hondius.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Better equipped to mother Boy No. 2 or stricken with learned helplessness from being coddled by an expert on my phone day in and day out?

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

She saw Feral, stricken dumb, his mouth actually agape.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

It risks striking directly at the heart of the freewheeling money engine that’s been funding Silicon Valley’s trillion-dollar AI build-out.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Once wary of artificial intelligence, Hollywood is now striking up partnerships with AI start-ups and weaving the technology into productions more and more openly -- all while insisting the creative process itself will remain untouched.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

A striking cartoon of Wang Wang and her puppies caught the eye of many football fans during a domestic game at a stadium in Dalian on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

But judging by Barker’s shallow screenplay, I doubt that it will be too long before someone digs deeper, striking an unassailable, solid-gold classic.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

“Speak the truth, you ingrate!” cried Miss Havisham, passionately striking her stick upon the floor; “you are tired of me.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

strike

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

adjective

verb phrase

idioms

verb

noun

More idioms and phrases containing strike

Usage

Synonym Usage

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of strike

Explanation

Vocabulary lists containing strike

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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words