strike up

verb

struck up; struck up also stricken up; striking up; strikes up

intransitive verb

: to begin to sing or play or to be sung or played

transitive verb

1
: to cause to begin singing or playing
strike up the band
2
: to cause to begin
strike up a conversation

Examples of strike up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Amid her rise to fame, Cooper struck up her connection with Kaplan in 2020 on a business Zoom call and began dating shortly after, according to W magazine. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026 Last night’s glittering summit banquet at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People summoned a distinctly retro vibe, and not just when the People’s Liberation Army band struck up a rendition of YMCA. Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 May 2026 Based on her first book in the series, The Deal, Season 1 of Off Campus follows singer songwriter Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and hockey team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) an unlikely pair who strike up a fake dating agreement that leads to real feelings. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 May 2026 In season 1 of the series, Taggie (Maclean) moves to Rutshire with her family and strikes up a surprising connection with Rupert (Hassell), a politician nearly double her age. Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for strike up

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike up was circa 1562

Cite this Entry

“Strike up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20up. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

strike up

verb
1
: to begin or cause to begin to sing or play
strike up the band
2
: to cause to begin
strike up a conversation

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