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

However, Maher revealed right after that this statement came from former President Barack Obama’s administration about airstrikes on Libya, not Trump on his Iran strikes. —

Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026 Other analysts agree that markets will likely recover from the Iran strikes in the long-run. —

Angelica Ang, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026 By contrast, Israel and the United States are partners in combat in the current fighting, while reports suggest Israel played a direct advocacy and operational role in the lead-up to the Iran strikes. —

Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026 When combined in a single shoe, the style strikes a nice balance that looks cool but polished. —

Alex Sales, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2026 As Iran unleashes a wave of retaliatory drones strikes on critical infrastructure around the Persian Gulf, Ukrainian expertise in countering those drones appears to be in demand. —

Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026 Perhaps no voice within MAGA has defended the president and the Iran strikes more aggressively than Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who, while having her own history of criticizing the administration, has become the movement's most visible counterweight to the growing dissent. —

Will Steakin, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026 Rubio told reporters that the US strikes on Iran were designed to head off a threat to the US from Israel’s plans to attack Iran, according to The Hill. —

Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026 What travel insurance may cover in Iran strikes Qatar Airways and Emirates Airways plane is parked at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport as some flights to Dubai and Doha cancelled following strikes on Iran launched by the United States and Israel, in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, March 1, 2026. —

Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026

Noun

Israeli strikes on Iranian oil fields and Iranian drone attacks elsewhere have forced production to slow or halt, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed over fear of vessels being targeted by Tehran. —

Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026 The chance of a rate cut on March 19 was more than 80% until the strikes on Iran, but have since dropped to little more than a 10% according to swap markets. —

Irina Anghel, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026 Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel. —

Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 Many United States officials were none too pleased with recent Israeli military strikes on Iranian oil facilities. —

Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar insisted that more than 300 Taliban officials had been killed in strikes on Kabul and two other cities. —

Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 The war in the Middle East is showing no signs of abating after US and Israeli strikes on Iran more than a week ago. —

Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026 Those strikes also killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a turning point in the nation’s history and leaving Iranians confronting a surreal mixture of relief, disbelief and anxiety. —

Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strikes

Verb

So far Watson has allowed six runs over five Grapefruit League appearances, giving up seven hits, two walks and hitting a batter while striking out three.

— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Right-wing influencer Jake Lang walks with a goat and supporters at a protest organized by the influencer on Saturday in New York City.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026