Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

strike

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of strike

1 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 of strike

walkout
Words Related to strike

sympathetic strike, sympathy strike

go-slow [British], job action, sick-out, sit-down, sit-in, slowdown

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

aggression, assault, attack, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense (or offence), offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush
Words Related to strike

ambuscade, ambush

counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike

sally, sortie

envelopment, flanking

breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion

pillage, ravage, sack

air raid, bombardment, bombing

siege, storm

barrage, cannonade, fusillade, hail, salvo, volley

whammy
Near Antonyms of strike

defense, defensive, guard, shield

opposition, resistance

protection, security, shelter
3 a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
  • kids born into poverty already have a strike against them
Synonyms of strike

debit, disadvantage, disbenefit, downside, drawback, handicap, incommodity, liability, minus, negative
Words Related to strike

albatross, millstone, stranglehold

disability, impairment

failing, shortcoming

bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel
Near Antonyms of strike

vantage

head start, jump, lead, margin, start

ascendancy (also ascendency), better, command, control, drop, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, upper hand

prerogative, privilege

break, opportunity

aid, assistance, help
Antonyms of strike

advantage, asset, edge, plus
4 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 of strike

bump, collision, concussion, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, wallop
Words Related to strike

blow, buffet, hit, knock, punch, rap, slap, thump

bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing

contact, encounter, meeting, touch
5 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 of strike

break, fluke
Words Related to strike

accident, chance, circumstance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck
Phrases Synonymous with strike

stroke of luck

strike

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of strike

1 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
Synonyms of strike

walk, walk out
Words Related to strike

sit in

lock out
2 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 of strike

affect, impact, impress, influence, move, reach, sway, tell (on), touch
Words Related to strike

carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall (or enthral), ravish, transport

bias, color

inspire, stir

engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce

afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring

allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate
Phrases Synonymous with strike

get to
Near Antonyms of strike

bore, jade, pall, tire, weary

underwhelm
3 to enter the mind of
  • it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification
Synonyms of strike

come (to), cross, dawn (on), occur (to)
Words Related to strike

recall, recollect, remember, reminisce

con, learn, memorize

appear, arrive, emerge, materialize
Near Antonyms of strike

forget, unlearn

disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook
4 to come into usually forceful contact with something
  • the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot
Synonyms of strike

bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, ram, slam, smash, swipe, thud
Words Related to strike

bounce, carom, clunk, glance, rebound, ricochet, skim, skip

contact, land, touch

brush, graze, kiss, nudge, scrape, shave, sweep

bulldoze, jostle, muscle, press, push
Near Antonyms of strike

miss, skirt
5 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 of strike

bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap
Words Related to strike

batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough

scuff

bunt, flick, stroke, tap

bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp

bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump [slang], fell, floor, knock down, level

rabbit-punch, sucker punch

cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip

bean, brain, conk, skull
Phrases Synonymous with strike

hang one on
6 to take apart
  • the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed
Synonyms of strike

break down, demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, dismount, knock down, take down
Words Related to strike

detach, disengage

break up, disaggregate, disarticulate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, disunite, divide, separate
Near Antonyms of strike

build, erect, pitch

combine, unite
Antonyms of strike

assemble, construct
7 to take sudden, violent action against
  • a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed
Synonyms of strike

assail, assault, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, sic (also sick), storm, trash, turn (on)
Words Related to strike

bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm

mug, rob

ambuscade, ambush, surprise (also surprize), waylay

blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke

barrage, cannon, cannonade

bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster

beleaguer, besiege, press

harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack

foray, invade, overrun

envelop, flank
Phrases Synonymous with strike

beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on, set at, set upon, tear into
Near Antonyms of strike

cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield
8 to cast a spell on
  • the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one
Synonyms of strike

bewitch, charm, enchant, ensorcell (or ensorcel), hex, overlook, spell
Words Related to strike

curse, jinx, possess, voodoo

attract, beguile, captivate, fascinate, mesmerize, spellbind

entice, lure, seduce, tempt
Near Antonyms of strike

bless

Synonym Discussion of strike

affect, influence, touch, impress, strike, sway mean to produce or have an effect upon. affect implies the action of a stimulus that can produce a response or reaction.
    • the sight affected her to tears
influence implies a force that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior).
    • our beliefs are influenced by our upbringing
touch may carry a vivid suggestion of close contact and may connote stirring, arousing, or harming.
    • plants touched by frost
    • his emotions were touched by her distress
impress stresses the depth and persistence of the effect.
    • only one of the plans impressed him
strike, similar to but weaker than impress, may convey the notion of sudden sharp perception or appreciation.
    • struck by the solemnity of the occasion
sway implies the acting of influences that are not resisted or are irresistible, with resulting change in character or course of action.
    • politicians who are swayed by popular opinion

strike (into)

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of strike (into)

to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
  • before you actually strike into your speech, you should introduce yourself
Synonyms of strike (into)

begin, commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start
Words Related to strike (into)

create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate

adopt, embrace, take on, take up

establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn

get around (to), get down (to), get round (to)
Phrases Synonymous with strike (into)

get going, get to, set about
Near Antonyms of strike (into)

cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop

close, complete

abandon, forsake, leave

abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out
Antonyms of strike (into)

conclude, end, finish, terminate

strike (out)

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of strike (out)

to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it
  • struck out all references to indecent matters
Synonyms of strike (out)

blue-pencil, cancel, cross (out), dele, delete, edit (out), elide, kill, scratch (out), stroke (out), x (out)
Words Related to strike (out)

blot out, efface, eradicate, erase, expunge, obliterate, root (out), rub out, wipe out

bleep, blip, clip, cut, excise, remove

bowdlerize, censor, clean (up), expurgate, launder, redact, red-pencil

abbreviate, crop, shorten

black out, repress, silence, suppress
Near Antonyms of strike (out)

stet

strike out

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of strike out

to be unsuccessful
  • their joint venture in Las Vegas struck out, and they hurriedly dissolved the partnership
Synonyms of strike out

bomb, collapse, crater, fail, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, tank, wash out
Words Related to strike out

flounder, struggle

decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane

crash, crumble, miscarry, misfire

go under

implode, self-destruct
Phrases Synonymous with strike out

come a cropper, come to grief, come up empty, die on the vine, fall flat, fall on one's face, fall short, lay an egg
Near Antonyms of strike out

cook, flourish, prosper, thrive

prevail, triumph, win
Antonyms of strike out

click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out

Learn More about strike

  1. See words that rhyme with strike Dictionary: Definition of strike Medical Dictionary: Definition of strike Spanish Central: Translation of strike Nglish: Translation of strike for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of strike for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about strike

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up strike? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

contraption

Listen to the pronounciation of contraption

a device or gadget

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. concentration camp Debate over detentions drives searches

  2. animus AOC discusses impeachment

  3. auspice Trump comments on North Korea rumors

SEE ALL
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games