to strike out
19
4.1
- phrasal verb
- /straɪk aʊt/
- And I have been known to strike out with the first object at hand.
Examples
-
As the dog approached, the cat instinctively struck out with its claws.
-
Perrin crouched under the slash, shouting wordlessly as he struck out with his axe.
Fiction book (1991) -
"After that, he was wounded, so he struck out at people more.
Fiction book (1999) -
Behind, the fighting continued, men grappling with one another and striking out with their weapons.
Fiction book (1993) -
Men charged about wildly, striking out at anyone or anything they encountered, frequently themselves.
Fiction book (1993) -
Because in a rage, you struck out, wishing only for his taunts to end.
Blog text (6) -
Her hands closed into fists, and Jobber saw her struggle not to strike out at her.
Fiction book (1991) -
One hand left the scythe and struck out at Walker, knocking him backward.
Fiction book (1993) -
Anita leaped forward to close it, but Konga struck out at her with her paw.
Fiction book (1998) -
In his anger, he struck out at the door, leaving a dent in the wood.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To strike someone or something with force
999
1.0
To hit something by accident with a sudden movement
570
1.4
To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist
508
2.4
To hit someone or something with force
472
1.0
Hit quickly with the flat part of the hand
256
1.5
Move the arm in a wide sweep to try to hit something
211
6.0
To suddenly attack someone often without warning
100
3.4
To hit someone or something quickly and lightly
78
5.6
Suddenly say angry things about someone by speaking or writing
23
3.7
To hit something quickly to make a short sharp sound
11
6.1
To hit someone quickly in a light, playful way
10
3.7
Hit someone or something very hard
6
7.3
To hit something or someone very hard
5
4.9
A sudden forward movement to attack or reach something
1
7.4
To hit someone or something hard with the fist
1
9.9
To hit someone or something hard
1
8.6
To hit someone hard so they fall down
1
9.9
To pull or move something suddenly and sharply
1
7.0
To hit someone or something very hard, for example with a fist
1
8.6
To hit something very hard with your fist or a bat
To attack someone with your body or with strong words
Antonyms
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The element 'out' conveys movement away or independence, but the given sense of 'strike' (remove/cross out) does not directly mean 'begin'; the phrase relies on a metaphorical extension (similar to 'set out' or 'venture out') to mean starting independently. Because that connection is not fully predictable from the literal meanings, a B1 learner who knows the words would likely need prior exposure to infer the exact sense.
Etymology
Strike out comes from the literal act of hitting or lunging outward: you strike and move out, like a fist or an animal's hoof, so it means 'to make a sudden attack'.