From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstrikestrike1 /straɪk/ ●●● S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle struck /strʌk/) 1 hit [transitive] writtenHIT/BUMP INTO to hit or fall against the surface of something She fell heavily, striking her head against the side of the boat. A snowball struck him on the back of the head. Several cars were struck by falling trees. The last rays of the setting sun struck the windows.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say hit rather than strike:I hit my head on the shelf.He was hit by a rock.2 hit with hand/weapon etc [transitive] formalHIT to deliberately hit someone or something with your hand or a weapon She struck him hard across the face.strike something with something The victim had been struck with some kind of wooden implement. Paul struck him a blow to the head. The assassin’s bullet struck home (=hit exactly where it should).► see thesaurus at hit3 thought/idea [transitive]THINK something/HAVE A THOUGHT if something strikes you, you think of it, notice it, or realize that it is important, interesting, true etc A rather worrying thought struck me. The first thing that struck me was the fact that there were no other women present.it strikes somebody (that) It struck her that losing the company might be the least of her worries.be struck by something You can’t help being struck by her kindness.GRAMMAR: Using the progressiveStrike is not used in the progressive in this meaning. You say: It strikes me that they are similar. ✗Don’t say: It is striking me that they are similar.4 → strike somebody as (being) something5 stop work [intransitive]STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE if a group of workers strike, they stop working as a protest against something relating to their work, for example how much they are paid, bad working conditions etc In many countries, the police are forbidden to strike.strike for They’re striking for the right to have their trade union recognized in law.6 attack [intransitive, transitive]ATTACK to attack someone, especially suddenly The killer might strike again. Guerrillas struck a UN camp, killing 75. Opponents of the war say that civilian villages have been struck several times. 7 harm [intransitive, transitive] to damage or harm someone or somethingstrike at The law would strike at the most basic of civil rights. Such prejudices strike right at the heart of any notions of a civilized society.strike a blow at/against/to something The scandal seemed to have struck a mortal blow to the government’s chances of re-election.8 something bad happens [intransitive, transitive]HAPPEN if something bad strikes, it suddenly happens or suddenly begins to affect someone The plague struck again for the third time that century. Everything seemed to be going fine when suddenly disaster struck. → stricken► see thesaurus at happen9 → strike a balance (between something)10 → strike a bargain/deal11 → strike a happy/cheerful/cautious etc note12 → strike a chord13 → strike a match14 → strike gold/oil etc15 → strike gold16 lightning [intransitive, transitive]DAMAGE if lightning strikes something, it hits and damages it The temple burned down after it was struck by lightning last year. → lightning never strikes twice at lightning117 → strike a blow for somebody/something18 → be within striking distance19 → strike it rich20 → strike it lucky21 clock [intransitive, transitive]TIME/WHAT TIME IS IT if a clock strikes one, two, six etc, its bell makes a sound once, twice, six etc times according to what time it is The church clock began to strike twelve.strike the hour (=strike when it is exactly one o'clock, two o'clock etc)22 gain advantage [intransitive]ADVANTAGE to do something that gives you an advantage over your opponent in a fight, competition etc Brazil struck first with a goal in the third minute.23 → strike home24 → strike terror/fear into somebody’s heart25 → strike a pose/attitude26 → be struck dumb27 → be struck with horror/terror/awe etc28 → strike while the iron is hot29 → strike somebody dead → strike back → strike somebody ↔ down → strike somebody/something ↔ off → strike on/upon something → strike out → strike up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
strike• The flight attendants are threatening to strike.• It is always devastating when this illness strikes.• It's like striking a match, Meg.• Most people were fast asleep when the hurricane struck at 4.05 pm.• The gang has struck at several homes in Monaghan, Cavan and Armagh stealing money from pensioners.• A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.• In the final analysis, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision struck down the first display and upheld the second one.• The Cardinals struck first with two touchdowns in the first quarter.• Teachers were not striking for higher pay, but for higher standards in education.• He struck her across the face and broke her nose.• Her husband had never struck her before.• It struck her one day, when she was walking home from school, that she hadn't thought about her weight for over a month.• The ball struck him in the face.• Morris struck his drum, and the band started to march down the street.• Female workers are often more reluctant than men to strike in order to get what they want.• Her arrow was the first to strike it.• This strikes me as just as arrogant and insular as would be a judgment pronounced on a ghetto kid.• My mother was always asking questions, and it struck me as odd that she didn't ask one on this occasion.• I looked around the glittering room and it struck me that I was probably the poorest person there.• It just struck me - you must have been in the same class as my brother.• The London Planetarium no longer strikes one with quite the same sense of awe, because planetariums are no longer new.• The court heard that the defendant had struck Payne repeatedly in the face, causing serious bruising.• Evidence shows that the victim had been struck several times with an iron bar.• Lightning struck the barn and set it on fire.• He began with the departure from Troy and the storm that struck the Fleet.• In anger, he struck the wall with a stick.• The clock had just struck two.struck ... a blow• After the darkness and coolness the light and heat struck him like a blow.• Finally he got dressed and went out to get a paper, and the bright sunlight outside struck him like a blow.• For the prosecution case to stand, it will be necessary to prove that Lenny McLean struck the fatal blow.• The guard made a point of gazing into the distance as he struck his blows.• Yet with their very first attack, the visitors struck a cruel blow.• But Kevin Curren struck some crucial blows - runs that Warwickshire could ill afford to concede at this stage of the match.• On eight minutes Armagh outhalf Simon Willis struck the first blow with a simple penalty.it strikes somebody (that)• It suddenly struck me that I hadn't spoken to Debbie in months.• But it strikes me that this is really the view of people who don't have them.• Look, come and make yourself useful, because it strikes me that this is the day, and the hour practically.• Yet it strikes me that the real story of blacks in the eighties is not about a quest for political access. strike at• Hernias vary in size from a golf ball to a football and can strike at any age.• Consequently, for instance, coins of the Empress Placidia were struck at Aquileia and at Rome from the same dies.• The strike at Grunwick Photoprocessing is exceptional in many ways.• Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?• Sometimes a particularly bold individual will risk a real attack, swooping in from behind the owl and striking at its plumage.• In both matinees, they played polite, uninspired hockey, allowing the opposition too many easy strikes at Ranford.• Fighter bombers struck at the presidential palace.• Catastrophe strikes at the worst possible moment.• No one strikes at their interests and walks away unharmed.disaster struck• His lead had stretched to half a minute on the soaking track when disaster struck.• It turned out that they had barely begun their quest before disaster struck.• It was while he was thus engaged in the Plaza of Broken Moons that disaster struck.• On the final turn, however, disaster struck.• Whenever I did this and substituted whoever was handy for the person I was attracted to, disaster struck.• In November of 1974, because of the oil crisis, disaster struck Tarrytown.• Once again, disaster struck the party, with nothing but benefits for Daley.• However, disaster struck when he was 11 years old.struck by lightning• This compares with 8 for air travel, 100 for child bearing and 0.6 for being struck by lightning.• A businessman walking to his car was struck by lightning and critically injured as co-workers watched in awe.• Travelling home one night in a violent storm, Polly was struck by lightning and had to be destroyed.• In that moment of truth she wanted to be struck by lightning and reduced to smouldering ashes.• There were torrential rains, rivers burst their banks and flooded standing crops, churches were struck by lightning in heavy thunderstorms.• So we are 60 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to die from salmonella!• A man struck by lightning was awake and alert Friday, but had no memory of the flash that knocked him unconscious. strike the hour• The tower bell was beginning to strike the hour.• It has no dial or hands but strikes the hours.• Then he lay trembling on his stone bed and listened to the clock striking the hours.• We stand with them for the last gloomy minutes till the clock strikes the hour.strikestrike2 ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 not working [countable, uncountable]STOP WORKING/GO ON STRIKE a period of time when a group of workers deliberately stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc The government has promised that the army will be called in to help if there is a firemen’s strike.strike by a six-week strike by railway workersstrike over a strike over pay cutsstrike against a national strike against mine closures2 attack [countable]ATTACK a military attack, especially by planes dropping bombsstrike against/on a surprise air strike on military targets American aircraft carriers have launched several strikes. → first strike3 discovery [countable usually singular]TPG the discovery of something valuable under the ground an oil strike4 → two/three strikes against somebody/something5 baseball [countable] an attempt to hit the ball in baseball that fails, or a ball that is thrown to the batter in the correct area but is not hit6 bowlingDSO [countable] a situation in bowling in which you knock down all the pins (=bottle-shaped objects) with a ball on your first attempt → hunger strike, lightning strikeCOLLOCATIONSverbsbe (out) on strikeTeachers are on strike again this week.go on strike/come out on strike (=start a strike)An estimated 70,000 public sector workers went on strike.begin a strikeDock workers began a 24-hour strike last night.call a strike (=tell people to strike)The union threatened to call a strike.stage a strike (=organize a short strike)Health workers will stage a two-day strike next week.end/call off a strike (=decide not to continue with it)The strike was called off two days later.break a strike (=force workers to end it)Attempts to break the strike failed.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + strikea one-day/two-week etc strikeA three-day strike is planned for next week.an indefinite strike (=with no end planned)Workers at the processing plant have begun an indefinite strike.a long strikeMost teachers wouldn’t be in favour of a long strike.a general strike (=when workers from most industries strike)They threatened to call a general strike.a national/nationwide strike (=all over the country)In April 1984 the National Union of Mineworkers called a national strike.an all-out strike British English (=when all the workers in a factory, industry etc strike)The dockers voted for an all-out strike.a rail/coal/postal etc strike (=affecting the rail/coal etc industry)A rail strike would cause enormous public inconvenience.a miners’/teachers’/pilots’ etc strike (=by miners, teachers etc)The transport workers’ strike inflicted serious damage on the economy.an unofficial strike (=not organized by a trade union)Some workers had been sacked for taking part in unofficial strikes.a wildcat strike (=without any warning)Legislation to curb wildcat strikes will be introduced during the coming parliamentary session.an all-out strike (=in which all the workers have stopped working completely)The company faces an all-out strike next month. a bitter strike (=with angry feelings between workers and managers)The miners finally returned to work at the end of a long, bitter strike.a damaging/crippling strike (=having a bad effect on an industry)The company now faces the prospect of a crippling strike.strike + NOUNstrike action (=a strike)Hospital workers have voted in favour of strike action.a strike call (=when a group asks people to strike)The ANC estimated that more than 4,000,000 people heeded its strike call.a strike ballot British English (=when workers vote on whether to strike)The union is going to hold a strike ballot.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘go on a strike’. Say go on strike. THESAURUSstrike [countable] a period of time when a group of workers stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etcA teachers’ strike has been announced for next week.The rail strike has resulted in major delays on roads across the country.industrial action [uncountable] British English activities such as strikes, or doing less work than usual, as a way of trying to persuade an employer to improve pay, conditions etcLecturers voted to take industrial action over their workload.Prison officers have threatened industrial action.stoppage [countable] British English, work stoppage American English a short strike, especially one that lasts for one dayCustoms officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.go-slow [countable] British English a period of time when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about pay, conditions etcThe hospital go-slow comes into effect tomorrow.The union carried out strikes and go-slows in support of a wage claim. Examples from the Corpus
strike• The offices were closed by a strike that lasted two months.• When union bosses called a strike in protest over low pay, the response was overwhelming.• The bomb strike took place on a camp near Krek.• Typical damage caused by a boom strike.• In the long run, the outcome of the Delphi Chassis strike could be less important than the walkout itself.• Following a general strike and calls for his resignation, the President was arrested on 26 March.• A memorable strike from Paul Scholes and a deserved goal for the influential David Beckham completed a routine day for the champions.• Since the miners' strike, thirty of the mines in the area have been closed.• nuclear strike capability• Shipbuilders and dockers were solidly in favour of strike action in support of their claim.• The roads were a nightmare as commuters were hit by a rail strike.• The rebels launched a retaliatory strike.• The settlement came after a week of escalating pressures on both sides to end the strike.• At first, they hated the strike.• The administration has officially asked transportation workers to call off their strike.• Barnett ruled a two-strike pitch from Shawn Boskie was a called third strike.strike against/on• But it can also strike on the potential for tension between bringing out individuality and creating conformity.• She had been struck on the back of the head and strangled, said Mr Wakerley.• He himself, by the surprise carrier strike on Pearl Harbor, had set an example which the enemy might follow.• It was a pre-emptive strike against attempts to rewrite and water down his proposals in the months ahead.• He reportedly staged a hunger strike on May 24 in support of the demand for a Constitutional Assembly.• military strikes on specific targets• When they went on strike against the landlords in 1908, blood flowed in Parma.• He was struck on the head with a club.From Longman Business Dictionarystrikestrike1 /straɪk/ noun [countable]HUMAN RESOURCES a period of time during which a group of workers deliberately stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc (strike2)a one-day postal strikeFemale staff have gone on strike for equal pay.Staff held a two-hour strike.Lorry drivers have been on strike for three weeks.An industrial dispute British English/labour dispute British English/labor dispute American English is a disagreement between managers and workers of a company, sometimes resulting in a strike. If workers want to protest against their employer, they may take various forms of industrial action, such as going on strike or striking, a go slow (=when workers deliberately work as slowly as possible), or working to rule British English/working to contract American English (=doing their job less quickly or effectively than normal, but without breaking the employer’s rules or the terms of their contract). A walkout is an occasion when workers stop working and leave their office or factory as a protest. A lock-out is when people are prevented from entering their place of work until they have agreed to accept the conditions set down by their employer. During a strike, there is often a picket line (=group of workers) who stand outside the factory or place where they work in order to protest about something and to ask other people not to go to work. In the UK, if workers in one factory or company strike to support the striking workers in a different factory or company, this is known as secondary action, which has been illegal since 1980. → all-out strike → general strike → lightning strike → official strike → sit-down strike → sympathy strike → token strike → unofficial strike → wildcat strikestrikestrike2 verb (past tense and past participle struck /strʌk/)1[intransitive]HUMAN RESOURCES to deliberately stop working for a time because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etcIn many countries, police officers are forbidden to strike.strike forDock workers are striking for more pay.2strike a deal/bargainCOMMERCE to make an agreement with someoneThe US and China have recently struck a deal over trade.He was trying to strike a deal with an American corporation to build a hotel in the mountains.3strike gold/oil etc to suddenly find gold, oil etc, especially after you have been looking for it for some time → strike off → strike out→ See Verb tableOrigin strike1 Old English strican “to touch lightly, go” 