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
Inside, the 1,000-pillared hall is an engineering marvel, with some pillars that can produce musical notes when struck. Shalbha Sarda, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2025 Firefly's first Blue Ghost lander targeted a relatively flat patch of the lunar surface, a 340-mile-wide (550-kilometer) impact basin formed when an asteroid struck the Moon nearly 4 billion years ago. Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
Bridges traveled the West Coast coordinating a strike of all longshoremen and warehousemen. Rebecca Brenner Graham / Made By History, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025 What Wall Street analysts think about Tesla ‘buyers’ strike’ Telsa’s year-to-date sales have already been cratering throughout Europe. Bob Woods, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strike
Verb
  • New York clawed back, however, to break a tie between the two teams that walked onto the FedEx Forum floors with identical records on Friday.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025
  • And feet are kind of important for walking, running and standing.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The two countries exchange a series of tit-for-tat levies affecting hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of goods.
    TIME, TIME, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Due date for individuals and businesses in the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia affected by severe storms and flooding from Hurricane Helene (☆) and Hurricane Milton.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The five-time Oscar-winning Sean Baker drama is bumping more than 500% this weekend and looks to earn another $1.7 million or so.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Somebody currently playing in the top nine is getting bumped.
    Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The 26-year-old Maleficent star was one of the first to hit the carpet, floating in a white gown that was chosen after a hands-on fitting with Burton, 51, herself.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Xiaomi’s shares, which are listed in Hong Kong, hit a record high this week.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Over the past six weeks, the Department of Government Efficiency has systematically dismantled the agency that was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
    Jennifer Lotito, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • But the consequences of dismantling government agencies, systems and services could be more widespread and severe than slimming down a tech company.
    Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The case, which generated headlines around the world, comes amid rising hostility against Muslims and Palestinians in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
    Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Despite losing all three, there were significant improvements collectively and individually, with contributions from attacking starlets Nico Paz, who scored against Atalanta, and Diao, who got the equaliser against Juventus.
    David Ferrini, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Lori had Chad evaluate her children's spirits to determine if they were possessed by demons.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
  • For example, college degrees can indicate that candidates possess valuable skills like the ability to succeed in unstructured environments or present coherent arguments.
    Ishan Gupta, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Students at Humphreys High School, located on Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the largest overseas U.S. military base, are also participating in the walkout, as well as students at Kaiserslautern High School, around six miles away from Ramstein High School.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Representative Jasmine Crockett, known for her sharp critiques of GOP misinformation, led a walkout mid-speech in protest.
    Kizzy Cox, Essence, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strike. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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