STRIKES Synonyms: 471 Similar and Opposite Words

strikes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of strike

as in walks

to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands the union is calling for its members to strike until the mining company agrees to meet safety standards

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Relevance

as in affects

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

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as in occurs (to)

to enter the mind of it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification

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as in collides

to come into usually forceful contact with something the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot

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as in hits

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

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as in dismantles

to take apart the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed

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as in attacks

to take sudden, violent action against a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed

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as in possesses

to cast a spell on the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one

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blesses

strikes

2 of 2

noun

plural of strike

as in walkouts

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

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as in assaults

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence the first strike was directed at a munitions warehouse

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as in disadvantages

a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success kids born into poverty already have a strike against them

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as in collisions

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

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as in accidents

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

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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 strikes

Verb

What strikes me most, after years of studying these traditions, is the pace. — Pardis Mahdavi, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026 Sitting somewhere between a loafer and a pump, this Proenza Schouler shoe strikes the perfect balance. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026 Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 Just like smelling a particular fragrance can bring back a memory faster than any other sense, a Taylor Swift song strikes an immediate, familiar chord. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026 The shoe’s soft, rounded toe combined with a structured jacket strikes the perfect balance between playful and polished. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026 And Logitech’s own renaissance would not have been possible without rethinking its approach to the export powerhouse that strikes fear into the hearts of many Western manufacturers. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 But the Marlins are still looking for a signature bat, a genuine slugger, that strikes fear in opposing pitchers. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 To my surprise, YSL’s cream blush in 37 Peachy Nude strikes the perfect balance between pink and orange. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

Front-line health workers in eastern Congo have gone on multiple strikes to demand pay for their work, complicating efforts to stop the outbreak. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 Two strikes hit the village of Kfar Rumman, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026 However, tragedy strikes after a medical emergency, leaving the staff to mourn him during the Fourth of July shift. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 The halt in strikes began at midnight on Friday into Saturday and will last for the duration of the weekend of diplomacy. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The terminal has absorbed dozens of strikes since the war began, with its oil infrastructure deliberately spared. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Up until that point, Whisenhunt had thrown 27 of his 46 pitches for strikes, with a four-seam fastball touching 95 mph and a sinker in the 93-94 mph range. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strikes

Verb

In walks an attractive similar-aged young lady seeming to require assistance, and that was my pivot point.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Police said Strode walks with a cane, usually wears sunglasses and carries a medical alert necklace.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of walks

Verb

PayPal has many middle-income customers and some lower-income customers, so a pullback in spending affects use of its payments platform.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Trump’s new round of tariffs is another way to target Canadian wood, which this time affects different types of plywood.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

When Hernández hears a single Chinese tourist has arrived, a smile crosses his face.

— Juan Carlos López, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Because a given centaur's orbit crosses the path of at least one of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, a centaur's orbit is unstable over millions of years.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of crosses

Verb

But as is often the case when a larger movement collides with sports, the athlete participation in a larger movement inspires those same players to push for change within their own walls.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Pacino plays a powerful crime lord whose empire collides with Father Joe’s crusade.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of collides

Verb

The spiritual fact of our completeness in God dismantles the cycle and opens the door to renewal.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Raman contends that Bass’ signature program Inside Safe, which dismantles encampments and moves people living there into motels, hotels and interim housing, is overly expensive and unsustainable.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismantles

Verb

Ronald agrees to a quote that attacks Cooper for allowing violent criminals a second chance, when his son wouldn’t get one.

— Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
At the end of episode 5, Gerry attacks Danny at his and Chad’s house and breaks into the basement with all of Chad’s prosthetics on display, giving him evidence of their fraud.

— Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacks

Verb

Woody possesses the rare combination of vulnerability, intelligence and strength that Younger demands, while Malachi, Conrad, Kola and Tuppence bring extraordinary weight and complexity to the forces shaping his life.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Under the influence of smoldering Scorpio, Venus possesses a magnetic, secretive and complex aura, making everything from our relationships to our investments all the more consuming and intense.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026