strike up
verb
struck up; struck up also stricken up; striking up; strikes up
: to begin to sing or play or to be sung or played
1
: to cause to begin singing or playing
strike up the band
2
: to cause to begin
strike up a conversation
Examples of strike up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During rush hour on the Boston subway, Littlefield struck up a conversation with the person seated next to him about workplace recognition.
—
Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Moore's and Thornton's characters struck up a partnership as the leaders of M*Tex Oil after the shocking death of Jon Hamm's Monty Miller in the season 1 finale.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
And at the 109-year-old Nu-Way, loyal patrons might strike up a conversation about their preferred order before talk takes an interesting turn.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Close rapport The summit is a showcase for closer ties between China and Russia, as well as the friendship struck up over the years by their two autocratic leaders.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Moore's and Thornton's characters struck up a partnership as the leaders of M*Tex Oil after the shocking death of Jon Hamm's Monty Miller in the season 1 finale.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
And at the 109-year-old Nu-Way, loyal patrons might strike up a conversation about their preferred order before talk takes an interesting turn.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Close rapport The summit is a showcase for closer ties between China and Russia, as well as the friendship struck up over the years by their two autocratic leaders.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike up
Cite this Entry
“Strike up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20up. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share