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to strike

to strike

508 2.4
To hit someone or something with force
  • verb
  • /straɪk/
: golpear
  • During the storm, lightning struck a nearby tree, causing it to splinter.
  • strike a blow
  • be struck by lightning

The second time lightning struck was with Bridget Graham.

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Examples

  • He decided to strike the ball with all his might during the final match.

  • And when you strike, strike first and strike to cause the most damage as possible.

  • Obama was ready to strike and then backed off.

  • You're off balance when you strike with your right.

  • The student was injured when struck in the face by a foreign object while using a lathe.

    Academic text (2015)
  • At that moment, the Turkish cavalry struck the Greeks in the right flank.

  • And the United States would surely begin striking Pakistan even more aggressively if al Qaeda found haven there.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The workers planned to strike to demand better wages and working conditions.

Synonyms

to hit
vsto strike
∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

is the slightly more formal action word
to knock
vsto strike
999 1.0

To hit something by accident with a sudden movement

is a deliberate form of forceful contact
to punch
vsto strike
570 1.4

To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist

is wider applying to forceful contact beyond fist blows
to slap
vsto strike
472 1.0

Hit quickly with the flat part of the hand

is any forceful contact not only a quick flat hand blow
to smack
vsto strike
183 3.5

To hit someone or something with an open hand

is any forceful contact not limited to sharp open hand blows
to pop
vsto strike
  • Informal
100 3.4

To hit someone or something quickly and lightly

is any forceful contact including heavier and intentional blows
to bash
vsto strike
  • NSFW
97 2.9

To hit someone or something very hard

is the general action of forceful contact not only powerful single blows
to land
vsto strike
75 4.7

To hit someone or something with force and accuracy

is broader stressing force rather than precise accuracy
to box
vsto strike
57 2.0

To fight another person using the fists, often as a sport

is any forceful contact beyond regulated fist fighting contexts
to jab
vsto strike
48 3.3

To poke quickly and sharply with a finger, hand, or object

is broader covering all forceful contacts not only quick pokes
to collide with
vsto strike
47 3.7

Hit something or someone while moving, causing a sudden strong crash

is the intentional act of forceful contact not only motion impact
to pummel
vsto strike
46 6.7

Hit something many times, usually with your fists

is a single forceful contact not a repeated attacking action
to bludgeon
vsto strike
  • NSFW
33 8.8

To hit someone repeatedly with a heavy stick or club

is any forceful contact that need not involve a heavy object
to smite
vsto strike
  • Archaic
26 9.8

Hit a person or thing with a heavy blow

is the general forceful contact not necessarily with weapons
to slug
vsto strike
  • Informal
25 4.6

To hit someone or something very hard, often with the fist

is general forceful contact not limited to extreme single blows
to connect
vsto strike
22 2.5

Hit the ball so it goes where you want

is the general action of forceful contact outside sport
to club
vsto strike
20 5.1

To hit someone or something hard with a heavy stick

is the general action of forceful contact not tool specific
to assail
vsto strike
  • Formal
16 8.0

To attack violently, upset someone deeply or criticize them strongly

is limited to physical contact not broader forms of attack
to wallop
vsto strike
  • Informal
6 7.3

To hit something or someone very hard

is the neutral term for forceful contact not implying extreme damage
to headbutt
vsto strike
5 6.1

To hit someone or something hard with your head

is any forceful contact not specific to the head as weapon
to plug
vsto strike
  • NSFW
5 7.7

To hit someone or something with a quick strong blow

is the broad action of forceful contact not only sudden strikes
to whomp
vsto strike
  • Informal
2 8.6

To hit forcefully with the hand or a flat object

is the broader term not limited to hand or flat object blows
to baste
vsto strike
  • Offensive
2 9.5

To hit someone repeatedly and very hard

is the simple act of forceful contact not continuous violent hitting
to impinge on
vsto strike
2 8.0

Hit something suddenly

focuses on forceful impact rather than just sudden contact
to clout
vsto strike
  • Informal
1 7.4

To hit someone or something hard with the fist

is broader covering forceful contact beyond fist-based impacts
to swack
vsto strike
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To hit someone or something hard

is the neutral term for forceful contact without implied suddenness
to pommel
vsto strike
  • NSFW
1 9.3

To hit someone or something again and again with your fists

is the single forceful contact rather than continuous battering
to swig
vsto strike
  • Archaic
1 8.6

To hit something very hard with your fist or a bat

is the general action of forceful contact not specifying weapon type
to lam into
vsto strike
  • Informal
9.9

To hit someone or something violently, often by running into them

is a general forceful contact not necessarily violent or assaultive

Antonyms

549 1.0

To fail to reach or hit something you aim for

Idioms

66 3.3

Refusing to work to protest, usually by a group of workers

Make people feel a strong connection when it seems familiar

To seriously damage an idea or reputation

Do something quickly to use a good chance before it ends

To make a flame with a match or lighter

To take action that supports justice

To criticize or take advantage of someone when they are weak

Phrasal Verbs

to strike out
  • Jargon
60 4.1

In baseball, cause a batter to be out after they miss three pitches

49 7.4

Declare a law or rule no longer valid

To fight back after someone attacks or hurts you

Stop working as a group to protest for better pay or conditions

33 6.8

Cause someone to fall, become sick, or die suddenly

To agree with someone after talking about the details

23 3.8

To start a conversation, friendship, or activity with someone in a quick informal way

20 4.1

Begin to do something new on your own

19 4.1

Move suddenly toward someone to try to hit or kick them

to strike out
  • Informal
18 3.9

Fail to succeed in an attempt to do something

Start talking to someone you do not know well

Hit someone or something very hard

Remove a name or item from a list by drawing a line through it

5 4.4

To start playing a song, usually by a band or group

Have a strong effect that makes someone suddenly understand

3 6.7

To remove a person or thing from an official list

To make someone unable to speak because they are very surprised or shocked

To stop doing a job to protest for better pay or conditions

1 8.1

Take down a tent when leaving or ending an event

To stop work together to ask the employer for higher pay

To get unexpected good luck

To make a small spark by hitting a piece of flint to start a fire

To find a useful clue that helps an investigation

Compounds

A sudden flash of electricity from the sky that hits something or a sudden strong idea

28 3.2

To refuse to eat as a way to protest or demand change

A surprise attack carried out to stop an enemy from attacking first

strike zone
  • Specialized
12 4.4

Area over home plate between a batter's knees and shoulders where a pitch must pass to be called a strike

12 8.6

A surprise attack with nuclear weapons to destroy an enemy's ability to fight back

A military attack aimed at one target to avoid damage nearby

first strike
  • Specialized
4 5.0

An attack launched early to stop a threat that is about to happen, for example in war or computer attacks

A person who plans and speaks for workers who stop work for better pay or conditions

Workers stay at their workplace and refuse to work until demands are met

A strike by workers not approved by their union

1 7.0

Workers stop work to support other workers on strike

strike pay
  • Jargon
1 6.7

Money a union gives members during a strike to help with living costs

strike-slip fault
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A break in the ground where two rock blocks move past each other horizontally

1 7.2

A military action to stop an expected attack by an enemy before it happens

ten-strike
  • Jargon
1 7.9

A bowler knocks down all ten pins with the first ball in a frame

Workers stop work to support other workers who are not working

8.0

A stoppage of work by workers to make managers follow safety and other workplace rules

How Forceful

to smash
278 2.1
to strike
508 2.4
to hit
∞ 1.0
knock
242 1.3
to tap
98 1.0

Surface Forms

strike infinitive
striking present participle
strikes third person singular
struck past
struck past participle

Etymology

Strike comes from the old English word strīcan, which meant 'to stroke' or move the hand over something and is related to stroke; from that sudden touch it grew to mean a forceful hit. So to strike someone is to hit them.