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

Lizzie’s displays of emotion during the trial were certainly remarked upon by those in attendance, but considering Lizzie and O’Neil didn’t strike up a friendship until a decade after the trial, Lizzie was obviously not coached by the actress. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026

The two wives soon strike up a tentative friendship as Ye-ji expresses interest in telling Ho-seok’s story — but the group dynamic grows increasingly complicated by their extreme class differences and subtly conflicting desires. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

That’s all the possession time the Bills needed for an offensive bonanza that began with Moore’s first reception as a Buffalo Bill and produced a pair of touchdowns, the second a breathtaking strike up the right sideline to Moore. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Thompson said that Williams struck up their friendship after they during an English class on Zoom. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 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