1
2
as in to affect
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
we were struck by the willingness of total strangers to go out of their way to help us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to occur (to)
to enter the mind of
it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
the driver of the car behind me applied his brakes too late and struck my car from the rear
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to dismantle
to take apart
the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to possess
to cast a spell on
the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in walkout
a work stoppage by a body of workers intended to force an employer to meet their demands
the nurses will go on strike tomorrow unless they're finally given a pay raise
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the first strike was directed at a munitions warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
kids born into poverty already have a strike against them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
the strike of a hammer against a nail always has a satisfying sound when you're building something yourself
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in accident
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events
she's made one strike after another since she began speculating in real estate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of strike
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
Search and rescue crews are pulling survivors from the rubble after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela less than a minutes apart last night.
—
John Otis,
NPR,
25 June 2026
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
Mbappe is coming for that World Cup all-time scoring record, netting his second long-range strike in as many group games and tapping in from Ousmane Dembele’s pass either side of a lengthy weather delay against Iraq.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strike
Verb
Police also linked Sanchez-Munoz to a June 11 shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, where another vehicle was struck by gunfire.
—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
Search and rescue crews are pulling survivors from the rubble after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela less than a minutes apart last night.
—
John Otis,
NPR,
25 June 2026
Noun
Each robot must independently interpret ball position and goalkeeper movement before committing to a strike, making split-second corrections based on sensor feedback.
—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
Mbappe is coming for that World Cup all-time scoring record, netting his second long-range strike in as many group games and tapping in from Ousmane Dembele’s pass either side of a lengthy weather delay against Iraq.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for strike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strike
Verb
-
Johnson allowed one walk with career highs of eight strikeouts and six innings, while throwing 90 pitches.
-
Manny Machado hit a first pitch, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning, sending the Padres to a 7-6 win and the Braves to their ninth loss in the last 12 games.
Verb
-
Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
-
At least 383 buildings and over 1,000 other structures had collapsed or were heavily affected, and officials were still assessing the damage.
Verb
-
After Florian Wirtz crossed in from the left side of the pitch, Kai Havertz got just enough of his head on the ball to flick it into the far side of the goal.
-
Vic examines the game’s boundaries and repeatedly crosses them, while mostly failing to keep a straight face.
Verb
-
My first glimpse of an elephant came as our safari game viewer bumped along the road from the airstrip to camp.
-
Tea leaves provide natural acidity to plants that enjoy the boost and can bump nitrogen levels when added to compost.
Verb
-
Against Cardinals’ starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, the Braves mustered just one hit and one run through five innings of an eventual 5-3 loss.
-
Thomas had hit a leadoff double, but Michael Massey, Salvador Perez and John Rave failed to drive him in.
Verb
-
The moves effectively dismantled the infrastructure meant to inform election officials of potential cyber threats.
-
It would be dismantled, and even the awe-inspiring Ferris wheel had an unusual end.
Verb
-
He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
-
Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
-
Music industry experts reveal that successful artists possess crucial internal qualities beyond typical marketing tactics.
-
For as long as most of us have been alive, the United States has possessed the most powerful military the world has ever seen.
Cite this Entry
“Strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strike. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
