strike down

verb

struck down; struck down also stricken down; striking down; strikes down

transitive verb

: annul, nullify

The board struck down the appointment.

especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable

The Supreme Court struck down the law.

Synonyms of strike down

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• set aside
• roll back
• avoid
• overturn

Examples of strike down in a Sentence

a law that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional

Recent Examples on the Web

But, not long afterward, lawmakers in Florida approved a new map aimed at flipping four seats to Republicans, and in early May Virginia’s top court struck down the redraw there, on procedural grounds. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

LaSala did not provide further comment and pointed to the county’s lawsuit seeking to strike down parts of the sports authority law, including the provision that could bar the mayor from the board. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Despite this extensive regulatory past, experts generally expect that the court will strike down assault weapons restrictions. — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

The court struck down procedural barriers that prevented some people from seeking asylum, including those who entered South Africa irregularly, lacked asylum transit visas or missed reporting deadlines, the committee said. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for strike down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

Kids Definition

strike down

verb

: to make null and void : annul

struck down the proposal

especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable

the court struck down the law

Legal Definition

strike down

transitive verb

: annul, nullify

the trustee…can strike down transfers

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable

the court struck down death penalty provisions

—L. H. Tribe