1
2
as in to affect
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
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3
as in to occur (to)
to enter the mind of
it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification
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4
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot
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5
as in to hit
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
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6
as in to dismantle
to take apart
the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed
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7
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed
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8
as in to possess
to cast a spell on
the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one
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1
as in walkout
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
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2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the first strike was directed at a munitions warehouse
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3
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
kids born into poverty already have a strike against them
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4
as in collision
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
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5
as in accident
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
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Cite this Entry
“Strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strike. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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