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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Recent Examples of striking down The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Hasan in March 2025, striking down his final appeal well over a decade after his court-martial conviction. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026 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 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

This endeavor is not easy, and these companies are strongly advocating for abolishing the leap second.

— Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
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

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

What transpired in-between the curtain raiser and final pose was much like what had gone down the previous night in Cincinnati, at the first public gig the Beach Boys had done since canceling a slew of dates beginning in July.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
In an interview with Tulsa news station Fox23, Meulenberg also emphasized that the department did not recommend canceling the concert.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of canceling

Verb

The worst idea is a finalized regulatory rule — rolling back fuel economy standards for automobiles that had been strengthened during the Biden administration.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
The official who wrote the letter, Paul Guaglianone, said lifting sanctions against Dodik had led to Bosnian Serb separatists rolling back policies that would have destabilized Bosnia's government.

— Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of rolling back

Verb

Her style is pithy and blunt, avoiding the ornate sentence structure of classical German.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
However early the experiment might be, the launch is a milestone for an emerging technology that has the potential to help meet AI’s growing demand for compute while avoiding the constraints on resources like power, water, and land on Earth.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

Three previous attempts to evict the 87-year-old were denied by the courts, but in March, the Supreme Court ruled against her, overturning a January 2022 decision in her favor.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
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