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
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.
The two men soon struck up a rapport, and details of murders, multi-ton cocaine deals, and gang rivalries began spilling out of Imperiale. Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 Andrew Scott stars in the film as Adam, a middle-aged gay screenwriter in London who strikes up a romance with his younger neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal), while working on a screenplay about his late parents. Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025 Reeves starred as Julian Mercer in the 2003 film, the doctor of Jack Nicholson’s Harry who strikes up a romantic relationship with Keaton’s Erica. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025 The boy’s biological mother, who was also there, struck up a connection with the DeLays that same evening. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike up

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike up was circa 1562

Cite this Entry

“Strike up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on strike up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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