strike down

verb

struck down; struck down also stricken down; striking down; strikes down
Synonyms of strike downnext

transitive verb

: annul, nullify
The board struck down the appointment.
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
The Supreme Court struck down the law.

Synonyms of strike down

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Examples of strike down in a Sentence

a law that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Last month, a federal appeals court struck down Florida’s Stop WOKE Act as applied to colleges and universities. — David Wippman, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026 Earlier this year, a federal judge struck down charges that might have brought the death penalty. — Brian Mann, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 In striking down his global duties, the Supreme Court said Trump needed congressional approval. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 In a 2007 case, Roberts, writing for the majority, struck down a Seattle school district’s program of assigning pupils to classrooms with a goal of racial diversity. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strike down

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike down was in 1779

Rhymes for strike down

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Browse Nearby Words

strike-dog
strike down
strike fault
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strike down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20down. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

strike down

verb
: to make null and void : annul
struck down the proposal
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the court struck down the law

Legal Definition

strike down

transitive verb
: annul, nullify
the trustee…can strike down transfers—J. J. White and R. S. Summers
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the court struck down death penalty provisions —L. H. Tribe

More from Merriam-Webster on strike down

Nglish: Translation of strike down for Spanish Speakers

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