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
While its thesis is serious, the opera manages to strike a consciously light-hearted tone without making light of its subject matter. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025 The suspect struck again a half hour later, roughly a mile away. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
Noun
The bottom of the fourth also saw Yankees hitting coach James Rowson get ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025 The attack killed 28 Palestinians and wounded more than 50 others, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said after the strike. Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strike
Verb
  • When New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza intentionally walked a pinch-hitting Freddie Freeman in front of him in a tie game in the eighth inning, there wasn’t much consternation.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Alanah Chamberlain fixes her cap in the mirror before walking on stage.
    Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • But that timing could create legal roadblocks, according to Pardo, because the term limits proposal would be on the same ballot as candidates who would be affected by it.
    Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
  • And how does looking for love affect someone’s idea of intimacy when it’s reduced to a transaction?
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • Candy and Allan bonded after bumping into each other at a church volleyball game.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 13 June 2025
  • The workers are non-unionized and do not have bumping rights, according to the company’s letter, which is signed by a corporate adviser from Harney Partners.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 June 2025
  • At the end of February, a pedestrian was hit in West London by an ebike rider in West London — not a rental or sharing scheme, to be clear — and died after a month in hospital.
    Nicole Kobie, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Four months after Elon Musk and Marco Rubio dismantled U.S.A.I.D., firing thousands of workers and cancelling eighty-three per cent of the agency’s contracts, according to Rubio’s count, Dalton’s lab is the only one left.
    Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • In the wake of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle crucial Civil Rights protections and federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the instruments of society are again being used to derail African American achievement.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Diddy's alleged reaction to public release of his attack on Cassie Ventura Jane's testimony gave the jury insight into how Diddy reacted when surveillance footage of the rapper attacking Cassie Ventura went public in May 2024.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
  • When Iran attacked Israel in 2024 with a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones, around 99% were successfully stopped.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • No monarch ever actually possessed a divine touch (or donkey ears), but historical records indicate at least two men with the name Midas oversaw the Phrygian kingdom during the first millennium BCE.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 June 2025
  • The Solar Orbiter observations also revealed that while the equator of the sun, where the most sunspots appear, possesses the strongest magnetic fields, those at the poles of our star have a complex and ever-changing structure.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 11 June 2025
Noun
  • Last year’s graduation ceremonies were often used as forums for protest, including orchestrated walkouts.
    John Branch, New York Times, 1 June 2025
  • The 2014 employee walkout was accompanied by Market Basket’s customer base noticeably boycotting the stores.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strike. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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