strike out
Britishverb
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(tr) to remove or erase
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(intr) to start out or begin
to strike out on one's own
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baseball to put out or be put out on strikes
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informal (intr) to fail utterly
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Cancel or erase, as in Strike out that last sentence, please . [Early 1500s]
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Begin a course of action, set out energetically, as in Elaine was determined to strike out on her own . [Early 1700s]
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Fail in an endeavor, as in His latest business venture has struck out . This usage originated in baseball, where it refers to a batter's failure to put the ball in play ( Williams struck out three times in yesterday's game ), as well as to a pitcher's success in eliminating a batter ( Clemens struck him out again in the fourth inning ). [Late 1800s]
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.
“Houdini plays,” Kiffin said of Chambliss’s ability to conjure a big strike out of thin air.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Pelinka can’t strike out on free agent signees like Gabe Vincent and Kendrick Nunn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Even if ambition results in a flop, it’s far more admirable to swing hard and strike out than it is to cower in the proverbial dugout.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
It’s time to strike out on your own.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
A first child is your own best foot forward, and how you do cheer those little feet as they strike out.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
