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Synonyms

striker

American  
[strahy-ker] / ˈstraɪ kər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that strikes.

  2. a worker who is on strike.

  3. manhelper.

  4. the clapper in a clock that strikes the hours or rings an alarm.

  5. U.S. Army. a private who acts as a voluntary paid servant to a commissioned officer.

  6. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person in training for a specific technical rating.

  7. a person who strikes fish, whales, etc., with a spear or harpoon.

  8. Whaling. a harpoon.

  9. Soccer. one of the attacking forwards.

striker British  
/ ˈstraɪkə /

noun

  1. a person who is on strike

  2. the hammer in a timepiece that rings a bell or alarm

  3. any part in a mechanical device that strikes something, such as the firing pin of a gun

  4. informal soccer an attacking player, esp one who generally positions himself near his opponent's goal in the hope of scoring

  5. cricket the batsman who is about to play a ball

    1. a person who harpoons whales or fish

    2. the harpoon itself

"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

Other Word Forms

  • antistriker noun
  • nonstriker noun

Etymology

Origin of striker

1350–1400; 1840–50 striker for def. 2; Middle English; strike, -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing striker

World Cup Vocabulary

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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.

In the end, the World Cup-winning Argentina striker, who had just clinched the Premier League with Manchester City, had to beg for it to stop.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Former Hearts striker Steven Naismith pointed out Celtic had only had seven goal attempts against St Mirren but stressed that, at this stage of the season, "it was about winning" for all the title chasers.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Tuchel handed opportunities to Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham's Dominic Solanke in Kane's absence last month but neither was able to make a lasting impression.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

He experimented with Tim Weah at outside back, where he has played for his club teams, and tried unsuccessfully to shake Christian Pulisic out of a career-long scoreless streak by playing him as a striker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

There was a violent thud, and the ball shot back toward the lanky striker who had kicked it, sailing over his head and bouncing into the empty space at midfield.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

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.