strike 1 of 2

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as in to walk
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 & Similar Words

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as in to occur (to)
to enter the mind of it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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strike

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb strike differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of strike are affect, impress, influence, sway, and touch. While all these words mean "to produce or have an effect upon," strike, similar to but weaker than impress, may convey the notion of sudden sharp perception or appreciation.

struck by the solemnity of the occasion

Where would affect be a reasonable alternative to strike?

The meanings of affect and strike largely overlap; however, affect implies the action of a stimulus that can produce a response or reaction.

the sight affected her to tears

When can impress be used instead of strike?

While the synonyms impress and strike are close in meaning, impress stresses the depth and persistence of the effect.

only one of the plans impressed him

When might influence be a better fit than strike?

The words influence and strike are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, influence implies a force that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior).

our beliefs are influenced by our upbringing

In what contexts can sway take the place of strike?

The synonyms sway and strike are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is touch a more appropriate choice than strike?

The words touch and strike can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strike
Verb
Over on bars, the UCLA Bruins couldn’t strike the 9.90 threshold until the last routine. Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 Volz allegedly shot at one Sheriff's Office car seven or eight times, and one bullet struck deputy Edwin Alexander, Judd added. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
There had been intense anger toward Trump from Iran’s theocracy, particularly over his decision to launch a drone strike that killed prominent Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020. Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 In one single strike, 57 trees were killed but the tonka bean tree at the center of the group survived, according to the paper. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strike
Verb
  • Dream Pairs Fisherman Sandals $30 $26 at Amazon Last summer, celebrity mom Katie Holmes made a splash walking around Manhattan in fisherman sandals.
    Claudia Fisher, Parents, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin and walk in a new life of holiness.
    Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The bill's requirement to show proof of citizenship in person would affect millions more voters who do have the documentation but register by mail or online, the Brennan Center said.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The precise extent of the cancellations and the specific products affected remain unclear.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Alas, the Bolts were bumped in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Williams and Jimenez went nose-to-nose when Mobile players rushed toward the Spring Hill player and bumped him.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • New York’s forward did so by staying attached through the bazillion screens Detroit set and recovering when he was hit.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Houston threw numbers behind the ball for most of the game to avoid getting hit by the deadly counterattacks and transitions KC has been known for.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The number of executive orders that are essentially dismantling federal agencies and allowing DOGE to essentially lay off people add more layers to investors’ concerns.
    Chuck Jones, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Many of the encampments at colleges across Chicago were eventually dismantled by police, leaving lawn chairs and colorful student artwork dotting the muddy grass of campus quads.
    Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Korematsu was just 22 years old and working hard to expand his family’s flower nursery outside San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.
    Lauren Stienstra, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Every American should reject the president's and his cronies' illegitimate use of government power to attack his enemies.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The final form of the galaxy, despite the illustration here, is more likely to be a gas-rich, disk-possessing galaxy than the elliptical one shown, as only a small percentage of major mergers lead to a red-and-dead, gas-free elliptical final state.
    Big Think, Big Think, 14 Mar. 2025
  • He is charged with one count of transferring or possessing an unregistered machine gun.
    Jason Green, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Hints, Clues And Answers For Thursday, April 3 Originally created for the 1983 film Local Hero, the instrumental cut became a minor hit decades ago and was later adopted as the walkout song for a U.K. football team.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • In Texas, there were 39 student walkouts in the years that followed.
    Made by History, Time, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strike. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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