STRIKING DOWN Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

striking down

verb

present participle of strike down

as in abolishing

to put an end to by formal action a law that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional

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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 striking down The association later won a lawsuit, striking down the city of Berkeley’s ordinance and halting others across the state. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The case could be understood, then, as a straightforward matter of striking down state laws that violated a national one. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 O’Connor ruled that historical firearm tradition supports striking down the rule, as mandated by recent Supreme Court precedent that asks courts to consider American history when determining the constitutionality of gun laws. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2026 Lawyers for the families argue that the 5th Circuit – the most conservative appeals court in the country – flouted the Supreme Court’s 1980 decision striking down a Kentucky law that’s nearly identical to Texas’ requirement. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 The high court dealt Trump both of the losses during the term that ended in June, striking down his executive order to end birthright citizenship and blocking his attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. — Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026 The 2024 ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional had been on hold pending appeal, so Wednesday’s reversal does not change the status quo. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 The 2024 ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional had been on hold pending appeal, so Wednesday's reversal does not change the status quo. — CBS News, 29 July 2026 Either way, in striking down the Louisiana voting map as a racial gerrymander, this outcome could influence how other states defend or challenge maps, too. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for striking down

Verb

The vice president also blasted Nixon, who is in an uphill race to defeat Moody, for supporting defunding the police and abolishing prisons.

— Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Coleman later joins forces with HopesAndDrums for a house mix that calls for abolishing ICE.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of abolishing

Verb

Demolishing universities, assaulting the press, violently resegregating the public sphere, ramming degenerative AI down our throats, incarcerating mere zine makers, the regime is systematically repealing the right to culture.

— Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
In contrast to Democrats, their agenda has included repealing no-excuse absentee balloting, banning the use of ballot drop boxes and instituting stronger voter identification requirements.

— Daniel J. Mallinson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of repealing

Verb

Customers using Booking’s AI tools are booking somewhat faster, converting at somewhat higher rates, and canceling less often, Steenbergen said, while cautioning that the data remains early stage.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
The White House was warned that canceling TPS for Salvadorans would disrupt construction projects in Washington.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of canceling

Verb

Lawmakers from both parties seemed eager at the beginning of the session to institute changes ranging from moratoriums on new developments to rolling back the lucrative tax breaks the state offers to lure facilities to Georgia in the first place.

— Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Now his administration is rolling back limits on power plant emissions, attempting to open the California coast to more oil drilling and sabotaging the state’s ambitious goals on emission controls and electric vehicle conversion.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of rolling back

Verb

With progress on the full treaty apparently stalled, international negotiations have shifted their focus to discussing responsible behavior in space, such as avoiding the accumulation of space debris.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
In many cases, avoiding a bad decision is even more powerful than wanting to make a good one.

— David Cozzens, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

As well as overturning the 2024 standards, the EPA is proposing to roll back its authority to regulate climate pollution from power plants.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Kavanaugh wrote an opinion in 2012 overturning the terrorism conviction of a driver and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of overturning

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“Striking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/striking%20down. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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