to strike down

Examples

• All

• And when she it came time for her to speak, she rose up and in the middle of speaking was struck down with a stroke and died as if by lightning.

  Stanford

• The hurricane struck down trees across the city, causing widespread damage.

• A man stands up, only to be struck down.

  Selma (2014)

• Did something bizarre happen so fast that he was struck down mid thought?

• Since its creation in 1947, the court has struck down only eight statutes on constitutional grounds.

  Academic text (2016)

• As darkness surrounds us, a good man and a bright young boy struck down before they could do their work towards real progress in this town.

  Eddington (2025)

• Willie's been struck down.

  Thunder on the Hill (1951)

• So here was the origin of a terrifying cliche about plague, that it struck down so many that there weren't enough people left to bury the dead.

• He was struck down by a sudden illness that left him unable to walk.

• Many soldiers were struck down during the battle, succumbing to their injuries.

Synonyms

H

to hit

vsto strike down

∞ 2.8

To suddenly make someone feel a strong emotion

is narrower, meaning sudden physical collapse, severe illness, or death

K

to knock

vsto strike down

937 1.0

To hit something by accident with a sudden movement

is specifically about sudden serious harm, not ordinary accidental blows

K

to knock out

vsto strike down

• NSFW

210 4.3

To make someone unconscious by a hit, illness, or being very tired

is broader, indicating sudden collapse, serious illness, or death

A

to attack

vsto strike down

165 4.9

To start damaging something, for example by disease or chemicals

is about causing sudden serious harm including violent or accidental causes

K

to knock down

vsto strike down

57 3.2

Make a building or wall fall down suddenly

also covers sudden harm to people, including illness or death

G

to gun down

vsto strike down

• Offensive

52 7.4

To shoot someone, often causing serious harm or death

is broader, covering sudden harm from force, illness, or disaster

D

to down

vsto strike down

51 5.5

Cause someone or something to fall and be defeated

focuses on sudden harm causing fall, illness, or death rather than only defeat

F

to fell

vsto strike down

16 3.3

To cause something to fall, often by cutting it down

is about sudden harm to people too, not only making objects fall

D

to deck

vsto strike down

• Informal

14 8.2

To hit someone so hard that they fall to the ground

is broader, including sudden severe illness or death as possible results

C

to cut down

vsto strike down

• NSFW

12 3.6

To make a person or thing fall to the ground, often by force

is more general, not limited to chopping or violent acts

R

to run down

vsto strike down

6 5.5

To hit and pass over a person or animal with a vehicle

is more general, applying to sudden harm from various causes

R

to ram down

vsto strike down

1 7.1

To force something down by hitting it hard

is broader, covering sudden harm to people from many causes

S

to smackdown

vsto strike down

• Informal

8.6

To hit someone hard so they fall down

is more general, also including sudden illness or fatal outcomes

Antonyms

H

to heal

481 1.2

To become healthy again after an injury, illness, or emotional pain

R

to revive

71 4.1

To make a person conscious again after fainting

How Harmful

to kill

• NSFW

∞ 1.0

to strike down

• NSFW

6 6.8

to injure

53 1.6

to harm

738 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology