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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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

After another two minutes of dangerous Machado Garry strikes, Makhachev deftly tripped the challenger and quickly scrambled to take Machado Garry’s back, where Makhachev stayed stapled until the horn sounded and Silva’s record was rewritten. — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Medium heat strikes the perfect balance of drying quickly but maintaining towel softness. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026 While blue jeans can sometimes read too casual and black jeans too sophisticated, Crawford’s olive pair strikes a happy medium. — Brooke Knappenberger, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 The reality is far more complicated than Trump’s proclamation of control, experts say – with ships fearing for their safety amid attacks on vessels in the strait, and the ever-looming threat of US-Iran strikes resuming. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Nearly half a century onward, Jonestown strikes many people as a bizarre aberration. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 The problem for horsemen (and now taxpayers) is that tastes have shifted away from this sort of spectacle, which strikes some as boring and others as cruel. — Stephen J. K. Walters, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026 Sasa takes on a rape case that strikes close to home, while his friend Kalle defends a client in a gang trial that tests his ideals. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Hochman said Flores simply could have taken notes on the inappropriate comments and turned them in to superiors or the independent inspector general, which strikes me as either sweetly naive or disingenuous. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Noun

Ukraine has been significantly expanding its long-range strikes deep into Russia in recent months, with prime targets including urban centers, fuel processing facilities, logistics hubs and military sites. — David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The United States has criticized Israeli strikes on a Syrian airbase early on Tuesday. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 There are many factors here, ranging from Hollywood strikes to international filming to also doing a prequel to, perhaps mainly, A-lister Chris Pratt’s exceptionally busy schedule. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Israel had, until recently, been launching strikes in Gaza most days. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Russian forces have increased the number of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, likely as part of a push to exploit Kyiv's shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strikes

Verb

Omega walks onto the ramp with a metal pipe and quickly takes out the Don Callis Family members to make the save.

— Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
On a windy afternoon, a family packs a beach bag, perhaps for the last time, and languidly walks towards the coast.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of walks

Verb

Diagnoses of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and behave, have increased roughly fivefold over the past couple of decades.

— Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Homelessness in Charlotte Homelessness affects, at minimum, 2,018 people in Mecklenburg County, according to the county’s 2026 Point-In-Time Count, which identifies the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night.

— Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of affects

Verb

Insurers price policiees and settle claims based on where rain fell, and parametric products that pay out automatically when rainfall crosses the threshold only work if the rainfall is measured.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
But the idea of gamifying a disaster like a wildfire for financial gain crosses a clear ethical boundary, experts say.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 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

This is what happens when the government dismantles the country’s vast environmental intelligence system.

— Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Her comments mirror those of 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, who routinely dismantles online outrage over the WTA's protocol.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismantles

Verb

Meanwhile, donning night-vision giggles, Knoxville gleefully attacks them with trash can lids and tasers.

— Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Yellow-legged hornets, an invasive species that attacks honeybee colonies, have been spotted in North Carolina for the first time.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacks

Verb

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler has multiple options for the central midfield pairing, but nobody else possesses the box-to-box power and athleticism of Carlos Baleba.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Cabrera possesses the type of stuff that would likely play up out of the bullpen.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026