Home / Dictionary / Strike

Strike Very Common

Strike has 31 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions

"the strike lasted more than a month before it was settled"

2

an attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or destroy an objective

"the strike was scheduled to begin at dawn"

3

a gentle blow

"She gently struck his shoulder to get his attention without startling him."

4

a score in tenpins: knocking down all ten with the first ball

"he finished with three strikes in the tenth frame"

5

(baseball) a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that the batter hits into foul territory, or that the batter does not swing at but the umpire judges to be in the area over home plate and between the batter's knees and shoulders

"this pitcher throws more strikes than balls"

6

a conspicuous success

"that song was his first hit and marked the beginning of his career"

"that new Broadway show is a real smasher"

"the party went with a bang"

7

A status resulting from a batter swinging and missing a pitch, or not swinging at a pitch when the ball goes in the strike zone, or hitting a foul ball that is not caught.

"The catcher shouted for me to keep my eyes on the pitcher after he struck out three batters in a row."

In plain English: A strike is when workers stop working to protest for better conditions or pay.

"The workers went on strike because they were unhappy with their wages."

Verb
1

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

"The teacher struck the child"

"the opponent refused to strike"

"The boxer struck the attacker dead"

2

have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

"This child impressed me as unusually mature"

"This behavior struck me as odd"

"he was dumb-struck by the news"

"her comments struck a sour note"

3

hit against; come into sudden contact with

"The car hit a tree"

"He struck the table with his elbow"

4

make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target

"The Germans struck Poland on Sept. 1, 1939"

"We must strike the enemy's oil fields"

"in the fifth inning, the Giants struck, sending three runners home to win the game 5 to 2"

5

indicate (a certain time) by striking

"The clock struck midnight"

"Just when I entered, the clock struck"

6

affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely

"We were hit by really bad weather"

"He was stricken with cancer when he was still a teenager"

"The earthquake struck at midnight"

7

stop work in order to press demands

"The auto workers are striking for higher wages"

"The employees walked out when their demand for better benefits was not met"

8

touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly

"Light fell on her face"

"The sun shone on the fields"

"The light struck the golden necklace"

"A strange sound struck my ears"

9

attain

"The horse finally struck a pace"

10

produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical instruments

"The pianist strikes a middle C"

"strike `z' on the keyboard"

11

cause to form (an electric arc) between electrodes of an arc lamp

"strike an arc"

12

find unexpectedly

"the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"

"she struck a goldmine"

"The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake"

13

produce by ignition or a blow

"strike fire from the flintstone"

"strike a match"

14

remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line

"Please strike this remark from the record"

"scratch that remark"

15

cause to experience suddenly

"Panic struck me"

"An interesting idea hit her"

"A thought came to me"

"The thought struck terror in our minds"

"They were struck with fear"

16

drive something violently into a location

"he hit his fist on the table"

"she struck her head on the low ceiling"

17

occupy or take on

"He assumes the lotus position"

"She took her seat on the stage"

"We took our seats in the orchestra"

"She took up her position behind the tree"

"strike a pose"

18

disassemble a temporary structure, such as a tent or a theatrical set

"after the show, we'll have to strike the set and pack up"

19

form by stamping, punching, or printing

"strike coins"

"strike a medal"

20

smooth with a strickle

"strickle the grain in the measure"

21

pierce with force

"The bullet struck her thigh"

"The icy wind struck through our coats"

22

arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing

"strike a balance"

"strike a bargain"

23

To delete or cross out; to scratch or eliminate.

"After realizing he had made a typo, he quickly struck his name through on the list before handing it in."

In plain English: To strike means to hit something hard with your hand, arm, or another object.

"The workers decided to strike because they were unhappy with their new pay rates."

Usage: Use this verb when you physically remove text by crossing it out, such as in handwritten notes or digital editing tools like Word's strikethrough feature. It is often confused with "scratch," but while scratching implies damaging a surface, striking specifically denotes the act of deleting content to indicate cancellation or correction.

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"When I met my new neighbor, he introduced himself as Mr. Strike, a name his family has carried for generations."

Example Sentences
"The workers went on strike because they were unhappy with their wages." noun
"The baseball player waited for his turn to strike during the game." noun
"A sudden thunderstorm struck us while we were walking home from school." noun
"She received a warning strike on her driving record after speeding in the city." noun
"The workers decided to strike because they were unhappy with their new pay rates." verb
See Also
protest strike while iron is hot strikee bang score rebound tickle someone's funny bone blackjack
Related Terms
protest strike while iron is hot strikee bang score rebound tickle someone's funny bone blackjack create veny peen coiled strikeable appulsive souple glance off deathblow put someone's lights out nonstriker rase
Antonyms
miss
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
job action attack blow score pitch success touch read affect protest happen achieve shape find make delete move disassemble create from raw material flush penetrate solve
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
sit-down sympathy strike walkout wildcat strike first strike surgical strike preventive strike blockbuster sleeper jab dab butt knock down spur peck tap hew sideswipe whip beat sclaff clout rap chop slap buffet infect surprise impress awaken engrave strike dumb zap jar hit home smite cloud pierce sweep away disturb touch move sadden alienate stub ping spang rear-end broadside connect spat thud bottom bottom out bump run into collide glance slice stroke retaliate smash

Origin

Strike comes from Old English strīcan, which originally meant "to stroke, rub, or press." The word traveled into modern English while retaining this core sense of applying pressure with a hand or object.

Rhyming Words
ike wike pike hike nike rike mike eike fike sike kike tike dike iike like bike grike koike ylike trike
Compare
Strike vs