# strike

/ˈstɹaɪk/ (US) · /stɹˈaɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/strike
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to hit

verb · CEFR B1

to hit someone or something with your hand, a tool, or a weapon.

For teachers: to deliver a physical blow or to come into forceful contact with a surface.

- The boxer managed to strike his opponent in the final seconds of the round.
- The falling debris continued to strike the pavement with terrifying force, making it impossible for rescue crews to approach the building safely.

### 2. to stop work

verb · CEFR B1

to stop working for a period of time because you want better pay or conditions.

For teachers: to engage in a concerted refusal to work as a form of industrial protest.

- The train drivers decided to strike after the company refused to increase their wages.
- Union members voted overwhelmingly to strike, effectively halting production across all three manufacturing plants until a new contract could be negotiated.

### 3. to occur to someone

verb · CEFR B2

to suddenly come into your mind as a thought or an idea.

For teachers: to occur to the mind of someone, often with a sense of suddenness or clarity.

- It didn't strike me until later that I had left my keys in the car.
- It struck the lead investigator as odd that the witness could remember the colour of the car but not the driver's face.

### 4. to find something

verb · CEFR B2

to suddenly find something valuable, like gold or oil, under the ground.

For teachers: to discover a source of raw material, particularly through drilling or mining.

- The company spent millions on drilling before they finally managed to strike oil.
- Geologists are optimistic that the new survey will help the mining firm strike a rich vein of copper in the northern hills.

### 5. to remove or delete

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to remove a name or a piece of writing from an official list or record.

For teachers: to delete or eliminate something from a record, often by drawing a line through it.

- The judge ordered the lawyer to strike the last comment from the record.
- The committee decided to strike the controversial clause from the final draft of the agreement to ensure a unanimous vote.

### 6. work stoppage

noun · CEFR B1

a period of time when workers refuse to work as a protest.

For teachers: a period of industrial action during which employees refuse to work.

- The postal strike meant that no letters were delivered for three days.
- The general strike paralyzed the city's infrastructure, forcing the government to return to the bargaining table with the transport unions.

### 7. military attack

noun · CEFR B2

a sudden attack, especially by planes or missiles.

For teachers: a sudden military attack, typically an aerial bombardment or a precision missile launch.

- The air strike destroyed several enemy buildings near the border.
- The military command authorised a surgical strike against the communications hub to disrupt the enemy's ability to coordinate their forces.

### 8. bowling/baseball

noun · CEFR B1

in bowling, knocking down all the pins at once; in baseball, a missed swing.

For teachers: a specific scoring event in sports, such as clearing all pins in bowling or a failed batting attempt in baseball.

- He was so happy when he got a strike in the final frame of the game.
- The pitcher threw a perfect curveball, earning his third strike of the inning and sending the batter back to the dugout.

## Examples

- The workers are on strike for better pay.
- The pilots' union threatened a strike if the airline refused to negotiate new contracts.
- A prolonged general strike has the power to paralyze a nation's economy, forcing a political confrontation far beyond the initial labor dispute.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.