strike
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to hit someone or something with your hand, a tool, or a weapon.
v.to deliver a physical blow or to come into forceful contact with a surface.
Simple“The boxer managed to strike his opponent in the final seconds of the round.”
In context“The falling debris continued to strike the pavement with terrifying force, making it impossible for rescue crews to approach the building safely.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to stop working for a period of time because you want better pay or conditions.
v.to engage in a concerted refusal to work as a form of industrial protest.
Simple“The train drivers decided to strike after the company refused to increase their wages.”
In context“Union members voted overwhelmingly to strike, effectively halting production across all three manufacturing plants until a new contract could be negotiated.”
Synonymswalk outprotest - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to suddenly come into your mind as a thought or an idea.
v.to occur to the mind of someone, often with a sense of suddenness or clarity.
Simple“It didn't strike me until later that I had left my keys in the car.”
In context“It struck the lead investigator as odd that the witness could remember the colour of the car but not the driver's face.”
Synonymsoccur todawn on - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to suddenly find something valuable, like gold or oil, under the ground.
v.to discover a source of raw material, particularly through drilling or mining.
Simple“The company spent millions on drilling before they finally managed to strike oil.”
In context“Geologists are optimistic that the new survey will help the mining firm strike a rich vein of copper in the northern hills.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to remove a name or a piece of writing from an official list or record.
v.to delete or eliminate something from a record, often by drawing a line through it.
Simple“The judge ordered the lawyer to strike the last comment from the record.”
In context“The committee decided to strike the controversial clause from the final draft of the agreement to ensure a unanimous vote.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
n.a period of time when workers refuse to work as a protest.
n.a period of industrial action during which employees refuse to work.
Simple“The postal strike meant that no letters were delivered for three days.”
In context“The general strike paralyzed the city's infrastructure, forcing the government to return to the bargaining table with the transport unions.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden attack, especially by planes or missiles.
n.a sudden military attack, typically an aerial bombardment or a precision missile launch.
Simple“The air strike destroyed several enemy buildings near the border.”
In context“The military command authorised a surgical strike against the communications hub to disrupt the enemy's ability to coordinate their forces.”
- 08 B1 Intermediate
n.in bowling, knocking down all the pins at once; in baseball, a missed swing.
n.a specific scoring event in sports, such as clearing all pins in bowling or a failed batting attempt in baseball.
Simple“He was so happy when he got a strike in the final frame of the game.”
In context“The pitcher threw a perfect curveball, earning his third strike of the inning and sending the batter back to the dugout.”
Usage strike hit · strike action · strike civilian
From Middle English stryken, from Old English strīcan, from Proto-West Germanic strīkan, from Proto-Germanic strīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to stroke, rub, press”). Cognate with Dutch strijken, German streichen, Danish stryge, Icelandic strýkja, strýkva.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.