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 onslaught — typified by a surge in daytime attacks — comes as its battlefield progress stalls and Ukraine strikes deeper into Russian territory. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026 McCaffrey said Iran's Kheibar strikes on Israel in 2024 were largely ineffective, but newer versions of it have caused extensive damage in the current war that the Pentagon has not acknowledged. — Josh Meyer, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 For example, Way of the Sword rewards defensive play in the form of Issen, powerful counterattacks that are triggered by attacking before an enemy strikes. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 Since the Lamerd strikes, the Pentagon signed a contract worth over $4 billion with Lockheed Martin to quadruple PrSM production. — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 To my surprise, YSL’s cream blush in 37 Peachy Nude strikes the perfect balance between pink and orange. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026 Just 10 minutes from Lagos and 15 minutes from Portimão, Palmares strikes an ideal balance between accessibility and seclusion. — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Palos Verdes strikes first, with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Rakowski to Aaden Brady and the Sea Kings are on top 7-0 in the first quarter. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 So, in order to make an extreme contact point work, the batter has to be able to discern balls and strikes really well. — Eno Sarris, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Noun

The attacks have brought shortages for ordinary Russians, though its strikes have not been as deadly for civilians. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Airwars is the first to map the damage radius of the strikes in Lamerd and estimate the lethal range of the weapon used. — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 El Sayed denounced the terrorist attack, perpetrated by a Lebanese immigrant who lost family in an Israeli airstrike, but qualified it at the time, offering support for those affected by Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026 The terminal has absorbed dozens of strikes since the war began, with its oil infrastructure deliberately spared. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Up until that point, Whisenhunt had thrown 27 of his 46 pitches for strikes, with a four-seam fastball touching 95 mph and a sinker in the 93-94 mph range. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness. — CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 More than 200 people have been killed in the military campaign, dubbed Operation Southern Spear, that began in September 2025 and has involved dozens of boat strikes. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strikes

Verb

Edgewater defensive tackle Wes Hendry walks off the field with cramps.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Every year, more than 27,000 members of the Television Academy — actors and editors, showrunners and composers, the people who actually make television — sit down with their ballots and decide who walks away with an Emmy.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of walks

Verb

An incident that for others might be fatal—a free fall from a high bridge—affects the coyote for only a brief moment.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
On taxation, only about a third of clients understand how other income affects the taxability of their Social Security check, and nearly half are blindsided to learn that Medicare premiums can quietly shrink their monthly payment.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

Across from Laurel, a Black woman crosses her arms over her stomach, her short Afro behind a headband.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
The impact on schools is especially striking, says Marie Gorette Mutuyimana, a primary school teacher of 28 years who crosses the river twice every weekday to get to and from work.

— Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of crosses

Verb

Construction accidents are common in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Dreaming explores what happens when 21st-century gender fluidity collides with the more rigid identity categories enforced by the state in a time of war.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of collides

Verb

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
Raman contends that Bass’ signature program Inside Safe, which dismantles encampments and moves people living there into motels, hotels and interim housing, is overly expensive and unsustainable.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismantles

Verb

In humans, the rabies virus, transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal, is a serious and fatal disease that attacks the central nervous system.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The hydrogen peroxide treatment then attacks the remaining dye-cotton linkages and removes residual color.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026