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

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
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.
Shut out of power, Democrats have seized on the fallout from the tariffs, Trump’s legal battles as federal judges strike down some executive orders, and Musk’s unpopularity to attack the administration. Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2025 This month, an appeals court struck down a $57-million fine the previous FCC chair had imposed on AT&T, finding the FCC had overstepped. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025 The doctrine hasn't been invoked a great deal—the last time it was successfully used to strike down laws was 1935. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 The Constitutional Court struck down Han's impeachment in March and reinstated him as acting president, before removing Yoon from office on April 4. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike down

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike down was in 1779

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Cite this Entry

“Strike down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20down. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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 transfersJ. J. White and R. S. Summers
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the court struck down death penalty provisions L. H. Tribe

More from Merriam-Webster on strike down

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