STRIKES Synonyms: 471 Similar and Opposite Words

strikes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of strike

as in walks

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

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Relevance

as in affects

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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as in occurs (to)

to enter the mind of it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification

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as in collides

to come into usually forceful contact with something the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot

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as in hits

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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as in dismantles

to take apart the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed

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as in attacks

to take sudden, violent action against a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed

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as in possesses

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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blesses

strikes

2 of 2

noun

plural of strike

as in walkouts

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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as in assaults

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence the first strike was directed at a munitions warehouse

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as in disadvantages

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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as in collisions

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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as in accidents

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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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 strikes

Verb

The Saturday attack was part of a string of Houthi strikes on airports across the kingdom this past week. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Her freakish smile strikes a sharp contrast with Ursula’s more distracted gaze. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 However, if your setup calls for a dependable, always-ready home UPS that can double as a weekend power source, the S2000 strikes a fantastic balance of usable capacity, smart software, and overall convenience. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 That kind of damage happens when a point strikes bone or something similarly hard. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026 Frances Haugen opened up to journalists and testified before Congress, but opening up to a dramatist strikes me as a different thing altogether. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 The handheld strikes a near perfect balance between authentically re-creating the GBA’s design while updating its hardware with new controls, a much better screen, and the flexibility of Android at a price that feels like a bargain. — Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2026 That’s exactly what just happened as Bloom Energy strikes a multiyear deal to place its name on the Philadelphia 76ers’ jersey. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2026 Houthi strikes in recent weeks have damaged the East-West pipeline that Saudi Arabia was using as a workaround to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026

Noun

Student and teacher unions have called for another round of nationwide school strikes next Tuesday. — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Gulf states could manage to secure a separate diplomatic solution with Iran, analysts say, or escalate their military strikes to eliminate Houthi leadership. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 Those facilities include long plastic silobags snaking across fields and towering metal grain elevators that are themselves increasingly vulnerable to military strikes. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 Eight-year-old Muhammad al-Shakhrit had survived years of war, displaced by Israeli strikes that destroyed his family’s home in Rafah and forced them to live in a tent by the coast. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2026 Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. — Joseph Krauss, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Of course, amid the rise of streaming movies in the home coming out of the pandemic, followed by the 2023 Los Angeles writers and actors strikes, getting film lovers back into the Cranford Theater remained a challenge. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026 In nearby Izyum, Russian drone strikes wounded three people, according to the local military administration. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strikes

Verb

Everyone must be ready for anything, and as 100 becomes 50, the kitchen slowly empties and the competition intensifies until one cook eventually walks away victorious.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
The video starts recording the night before the fire when a person walks by, heading toward the back of the home on Stricker Street.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of walks

Verb

His characters confront moments of reckoning—some comic, others karmic, often both—where self-belief collides with a buckling status quo.

— Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
This downward trend collides with the rising risk of flooding across many areas of the United States, driven by climate change that can strengthen hurricanes and worsen downpours far from the coasts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of collides

Verb

Assembly Bill 2555 dismantles and streamlines an aging system that some researchers said kept far too many students classified as English learners months or even years after mastering the language.

— Emily Woodruff, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
The spiritual fact of our completeness in God dismantles the cycle and opens the door to renewal.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismantles

Verb

The degenerative disease attacks the motor neurons of the brain and spinal cords.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
The advertisement, which was released last week, attacks Vang over her attendance record at the meetings of local government bodies including the Sacramento Regional Transit District and Sacramento Transportation Authority.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacks

Verb

The Justice Department argued that the decision demonstrated that Congress possesses at least some authority to establish voter qualifications in federal elections.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
When new, concrete possesses a thin, temporarily protective layer that, if not maintained, will wear away, exposing the interior, which gradually crumbles.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026