strike up

verb

struck up; struck up also stricken up; striking up; strikes up

intransitive verb

: to begin to sing or play or to be sung or played

transitive verb

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

Try striking up a conversation or offering a genuine compliment. — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 21 July 2026

The stadium is one of the few remaining spaces where striking up a chat with a stranger still feels natural. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026

Her character Georgie strikes up a romance with former forensic investigator Bill Avery (Jack Wagner) and in the following season, Georgie helps Bill investigate a mapmaker involved with Pioneer Electric. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Growing up, Patricia easily attracted friends among her peers — and even struck up friendships with some of Robert’s older classmates. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for strike up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

strike up

verb

1

: to begin or cause to begin to sing or play

strike up the band

2

: to cause to begin

strike up a conversation