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

Whether it is approved by voters or not, there’s reason to believe the measure will be struck down by the courts anyway. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 27 Nov. 2025

Because federal voting laws preempt state laws, the lower court was forced to strike down the voting law in its entirety. —Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 26 Nov. 2025

The court struck down the relocation rule as a First Amendment violation in 2000, stressing that moving a children’s book to the adult stacks can burden minors’ access. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

People Not Politicians launched its referendum campaign shortly after the vote and almost immediately began collecting signatures to strike down the map. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025

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