strike
strike — verb
1. to stop doing your job for a period as a protest, when you and your fellow worke
to stop doing your job for a period as a protest, when you and your fellow workers want better pay, safer conditions, or to keep jobs that are at risk.
The bus drivers in Lisbon will strike on Friday over a pay cut.
strike + over + cause noun
Nurses across the hospital decided to strike after months of unpaid overtime.
strike + after + reason clause
Factory workers were striking for safer machines and better masks.
If management refuses to meet us, we will strike next Monday.
The teachers' union voted to strike against the new contract terms.
- walk out
phrasal verb; emphasises leaving the workplace as the protest begins
- down tools
informal, mainly British; vivid image of putting work aside
- stop work
neutral, descriptive; less politically loaded than 'strike'
- work
the default state; striking is its deliberate refusal
文法句型
strike (over/against + noun)
be on strike
用法筆記
Subject is almost always workers or a union; the cause is introduced by 'over', 'for', or 'against'. The related noun phrase 'be/go on strike' is more common in everyday speech than the bare verb.
常見錯誤
2. when a disaster, illness, or other very bad event reaches someone or somewhere w
when a disaster, illness, or other very bad event reaches someone or somewhere without warning and causes serious harm.
An earthquake struck the coastal villages around midnight on Tuesday.
subject = disaster; object = place
Heart disease has struck three generations of Henry's family.
subject = illness; perfect tense
The town was struck by floods just two weeks after the wildfire.
Tragedy struck the climbers when a storm closed in near the summit.
A rare lung infection struck Beatrix during her second year of medical school.
- spare
the disaster leaves the place or person untouched
文法句型
disaster + strike + place/person
be struck by + noun
用法筆記
Subject is typically an event treated as agent: 'disaster', 'tragedy', 'an earthquake', 'a virus', 'misfortune'. Frequently passive ('was struck by'). Different from sense 12 (CAUSE FEELING), which describes a thought or impression hitting someone, not real harm.
常見錯誤
3. to deliver a hard, sudden blow to a person, animal, or surface — by hand, with a
to deliver a hard, sudden blow to a person, animal, or surface — by hand, with a tool, or by crashing into it.
Tariq struck the nail with the hammer until it sank into the wood.
strike + object + with + tool
The cricket ball struck Imran on the elbow and left a deep bruise.
strike + person + on + body part
A small fishing boat was struck by a passing tanker in heavy fog.
Lightning struck the old oak tree behind Sumin's grandmother's house.
The boxer struck again before his opponent could raise his guard.
- miss
fail to make contact
文法句型
strike + somebody/something
strike + somebody + on/in + body part
strike + against + surface
用法筆記
Slightly more formal and dramatic than 'hit'. Common subjects include weapons, vehicles, lightning, and trained fighters; 'hit' is preferred in casual everyday talk.
常見錯誤
4. to kick a ball — usually a football — cleanly and with strength, sending it trav
to kick a ball — usually a football — cleanly and with strength, sending it travelling far or fast across the pitch.
Lucas struck the ball from outside the box and watched it curl into the top corner.
strike + the ball + direction phrase
Caio struck the free kick so hard that the goalkeeper barely saw it.
strike + so hard that + result
The young striker struck the ball with the inside of her right foot.
Marco struck cleanly on the half-volley and the crowd jumped to its feet.
文法句型
strike + the ball
strike + adverb of force/direction
用法筆記
Football and rugby register. In casual conversation about playing, 'kick' is more natural; 'strike' belongs to commentary, coaching, and match reports.
常見錯誤
5. of a clock or bell tower: to ring out a series of chimes that announce the hour
of a clock or bell tower: to ring out a series of chimes that announce the hour to anyone within earshot.
The old town hall clock struck loudly as Henry crossed the square.
clock + strike + adverb
We waited in silence for the cathedral bell to strike.
for + subject + to strike
The grandfather clock in the hallway strikes every hour, even at night.
Just as the church clock struck, a flock of pigeons rose from the roof.
文法句型
clock + strike
clock + strike + number/hour
用法筆記
Subject is the clock or bell itself, not the person hearing it. Often used as a scene-setting time marker in narrative writing. Sense 6 differs in that the subject is the time itself ('midnight struck'), not the clock.
常見錯誤
6. of a particular hour: to arrive and be marked by the chiming of a clock, so that
of a particular hour: to arrive and be marked by the chiming of a clock, so that everyone hearing it knows the time.
Midnight struck just as Beatrix opened the last page of the diary.
hour + strike + as + clause
The carriages were ordered to leave the moment six o'clock struck.
the moment + time + strike
Eleven struck, and Yumi was still waiting on the platform alone.
Before noon struck, the whole village had gathered in the square.
文法句型
time/hour + strike
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5: here the subject is the time itself ('midnight', 'six o'clock'), not the clock. Almost exclusive to narrative and literary prose; rare in conversation, where 'when it was midnight' or 'at six' is preferred.
常見錯誤
7. to make a small fire on the head of a match by quickly dragging it across a roug
to make a small fire on the head of a match by quickly dragging it across a rough surface such as the side of a matchbox.
Renata struck a match against the side of the box and lit the candles on the cake.
strike + match against [rough surface]
Mizuki tried to strike three damp matches before one finally caught fire.
object + match (often plural)
The old fisherman crouched in the wind and struck a match with one practised hand.
Jude struck a match to read the map, and the small flame lit up his tent.
- light
more general; can apply to lighters or stoves, not just matches
文法句型
strike + match
用法筆記
Almost always takes 'match' as the object. Often followed by 'against [surface]' to show what the match is rubbed on.
常見錯誤
8. in football, cricket, and similar sports, to suddenly score a goal, take a wicke
in football, cricket, and similar sports, to suddenly score a goal, take a wicket, or win a point at a key moment in the match.
Christopher struck twice in the second half to put United ahead by three goals.
intransitive use in football reporting
The young bowler struck again in the next over, removing the captain for only six runs.
cricket: striking = taking a wicket
Ilan struck early for Argentina, finding the back of the net after just four minutes.
Kofi struck with a powerful header just before the final whistle and saved the team from defeat.
- score
more general; covers any point, while 'strike' suggests a sudden, dramatic moment
文法句型
strike (in/for [team])
用法筆記
Used intransitively, often in sports commentary. Frequently appears with time markers like 'again', 'twice', 'early', 'late', or 'in the second half'.
9. to take a word, name, or statement out of a written record so that it no longer
to take a word, name, or statement out of a written record so that it no longer counts as part of it, often by official order.
The judge ordered the witness's last comment to be struck from the court record.
passive: be struck from [record]
Élise asked the secretary to strike her name off the list of candidates.
strike + name + off [list]
Two paragraphs were struck from the contract before both companies finally signed it.
Zayd asked the editor to strike the misleading sentence from his published article.
- add
putting something into the record instead of taking it out
文法句型
strike sth from sth
strike sth off sth
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('be struck from'). Almost always takes 'from' or 'off' plus a written record (list, document, transcript). Common in legal and administrative writing.
常見錯誤
10. to find oil, gas, gold, or another valuable material below the ground, usually a
to find oil, gas, gold, or another valuable material below the ground, usually after digging or drilling for it.
The drilling team struck oil after spending six long months in the Texas desert.
strike + oil (most common collocation)
Lakan's grandfather struck gold in the hills above the village in 1949.
strike + gold (often historical)
Engineers struck a huge pocket of natural gas only ninety metres below the seabed.
Nikhil read about a farmer who struck silver while digging a new well behind his barn.
文法句型
strike + [oil/gold/gas]
用法筆記
Object is almost always a valuable underground resource (oil, gold, silver, gas). Often followed by a location phrase saying where the discovery happened.
11. to settle on the terms of an agreement with another person or group, especially
to settle on the terms of an agreement with another person or group, especially after talking or arguing about what each side will give and receive.
Theo struck a deal with the landlord and agreed to pay six months of rent in advance.
strike a deal with [person]
After three days of talks, the two governments finally struck an agreement on fishing rights.
strike + agreement (formal context)
Lakshmi struck a bargain at the market and got the silk scarf for half the asking price.
The studio struck a deal with the streaming service to release the film online next month.
文法句型
strike a deal/bargain (with sb)
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'a deal', 'a bargain', or 'an agreement'. Usually followed by 'with [the other party]' and often by 'on [the topic]'.
常見錯誤
12. if a person or thing strikes you in a certain way, they give you that feeling or
if a person or thing strikes you in a certain way, they give you that feeling or impression when you first meet them or first notice them.
Quan struck me as honest from the very first moment we shook hands at the conference.
strike sb as + adjective
It strikes Erik that nobody in the office has noticed the broken printer all week.
it strikes sb that + clause
The painting struck Sophia as both beautiful and slightly sad at the same time.
Heather's quiet confidence struck the interviewers as exactly what the team needed.
Brian's new song struck the audience as fresh and surprisingly different from his earlier work.
文法句型
sb/sth strikes sb as + adj/noun
it strikes sb that + clause
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'as + adjective/noun' to say what kind of impression is given. The frame 'It strikes sb that + clause' introduces a sudden realisation.
常見錯誤
13. If a thought, idea, or feeling strikes someone, it suddenly enters their mind wi
If a thought, idea, or feeling strikes someone, it suddenly enters their mind without warning, often when they were thinking about something else.
Halfway through dinner, it struck Hugo that he had forgotten his wife's birthday.
pattern: it struck + somebody + that-clause
A clever idea struck Sayaka while she was washing the dishes.
pattern: idea/thought + strikes + somebody
It suddenly struck Rohan that the keys were still in the front door.
A strange thought struck the old farmer as he watched the storm clouds gather.
It never struck Mateo to ask why his grandmother kept the photo hidden.
文法句型
a thought/idea + strikes + somebody
it strikes somebody that ...
用法筆記
Subject is the thought, idea, or realization itself, not the person. Frequently appears in the impersonal frame 'it struck somebody that...' to report a sudden realization.
常見錯誤
14. to deliberately place yourself in a chosen physical position and stay still in i
to deliberately place yourself in a chosen physical position and stay still in it, usually so that someone can photograph or paint you, or so that the position itself sends a message to people watching.
Mira struck a dramatic pose at the top of the staircase for the photographer.
core collocation: strike a pose
The young dancer struck an elegant pose as the curtain rose.
Rachid struck a defiant stance and refused to move from the doorway.
The bodybuilders struck their final poses as the judges walked past.
Christopher struck a thoughtful attitude with one hand under his chin.
文法句型
strike + a pose/attitude/stance
用法筆記
Object is almost always a noun describing a body position: 'pose', 'stance', 'attitude'. Distinguish from sense 12 (cause feeling/idea) — that sense's subject is a thing, while this sense's subject is a person who chooses the position.
常見錯誤
15. to manufacture a coin, medal, or other small flat metal object by pressing a des
to manufacture a coin, medal, or other small flat metal object by pressing a design hard onto a metal blank with a heavy machine.
The Royal Mint struck a special coin to mark the queen's seventieth birthday.
common subject: a mint or factory
Workers in the old factory struck thousands of bronze medals each day.
Hoa watched a short film about how silver coins are struck in modern factories.
The town struck a new medal to honour the firefighters who saved the school.
文法句型
strike + a coin/medal
用法筆記
Object is restricted to small stamped metal objects — coins, medals, tokens. Often appears in passive voice when describing how the items are produced.
常見錯誤
16. to take a tent or whole camp apart so that it can be packed up and carried away
to take a tent or whole camp apart so that it can be packed up and carried away to another place.
The scouts struck their tents at dawn and walked back down the mountain.
fixed collocation: strike + tents
Omar and his team struck camp before the rain arrived.
fixed phrase: strike camp
After three nights by the lake, Sofie helped her father strike the tent.
The army struck camp quietly and was gone by sunrise.
文法句型
strike + camp/tent(s)
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'tent', 'tents', or the fixed phrase 'strike camp'. Opposite of 'pitch' (a tent) or 'set up' (camp).
常見錯誤
strike — noun
1. an organised period during which a group of employees stop doing their jobs to p
an organised period during which a group of employees stop doing their jobs to push their company for better pay, safer conditions, or other changes.
Bus drivers across Lisbon began a three-day strike over weekend pay.
a strike over [issue]
The nurses voted to hold a strike if the hospital cut their overtime rates.
hold a strike
A national rail strike left thousands of passengers stranded at Manchester Piccadilly.
Imran joined the teachers' strike to demand smaller class sizes.
After two months, the factory strike ended when the company agreed to a small raise.
- walkout
more informal; emphasises workers leaving the workplace
- industrial action
broader term covering strikes, slowdowns, work-to-rule
- stoppage
often shorter or partial; can be unofficial
文法句型
a strike (over/against something)
be on strike
用法筆記
Often appears in compound nouns naming the workforce (rail strike, teachers' strike, dock strike). Distinguish from sense 2 (on strike) and sense 3 (go on strike), which describe being involved in this action.
常見錯誤
2. currently refusing to do your job as part of an organised protest by your group
currently refusing to do your job as part of an organised protest by your group of workers.
The dock workers have been on strike for two weeks over unsafe loading rules.
be on strike (state, often with duration)
Hospital cleaners came out on strike yesterday after talks with management broke down.
come out on strike (begin striking)
While the bin collectors were on strike, rubbish piled up outside Tuan's restaurant.
Adaeze refused to cross the picket line because her colleagues were on strike.
- out
informal British shorthand: 'the miners are out'
- walking out
emphasises the act of leaving work
- back at work
describes the state after a strike ends
文法句型
be on strike
come out on strike
用法筆記
Always used in the fixed pattern 'on strike', usually after 'be', 'come out', 'go out', or 'remain'. Unlike sense 1, this describes the workers' state rather than naming the event itself.
常見錯誤
3. to begin refusing to work as part of an organised protest by your group of worke
to begin refusing to work as part of an organised protest by your group of workers.
Postal workers will go on strike next Monday if the new shift plan is approved.
go on strike + future time
The pilots threatened to go on strike over forced changes to their pension scheme.
go on strike over [grievance]
Defne joined her co-workers when the whole call centre went on strike.
Junior doctors went on strike for the first time in twenty years.
- walk out
phrasal verb; same meaning, slightly more informal
- down tools
British informal; emphasises stopping work suddenly
- return to work
the opposite action when a strike ends
文法句型
go on strike (over/against something)
用法筆記
Always 'go on strike' as a fixed phrase. Sense 3 marks the moment of starting; sense 2 ('be on strike') describes the ongoing state. Use 'over' or 'against' for the issue, never 'for'.
常見錯誤
4. a single, hard hit delivered to a person or thing, often with a fist, weapon, or
a single, hard hit delivered to a person or thing, often with a fist, weapon, or tool.
A single strike from the hammer split the dry log clean in two.
a strike from [tool]
The boxer landed a heavy strike to Erik's jaw in the second round.
land a strike (to [body part])
Gabriel blocked the strike with his forearm and pushed his attacker away.
The cobra's strike was so fast that the mouse had no chance to escape.
文法句型
a strike (to/on something)
a strike from [weapon/body part]
用法筆記
Frequently paired with verbs 'land', 'deliver', 'block', or 'dodge'. In martial arts and combat sports, 'strike' is the standard count noun for an individual punch, kick, or elbow.
5. in football, a forceful kick of the ball, especially one that sends it flying fa
in football, a forceful kick of the ball, especially one that sends it flying far across the pitch or into the goal.
Isabela's long-range strike flew into the top corner of the net.
long-range strike (compound)
The midfielder's clean strike beat the goalkeeper from twenty-five metres.
clean strike
James won the match with a powerful strike in the final minute.
The goal came from a low strike that skidded across the wet grass.
文法句型
a strike (at/on the ball)
a [adjective] strike
用法筆記
Sport-specific, almost always football. Frequent adjectives: 'long-range', 'clean', 'powerful', 'thunderous'. Distinguish from sense 4 (a hit on a person or thing) — sense 5 is always about kicking a ball.
6. a fast, focused military attack on a target, usually carried out by warplanes, d
a fast, focused military attack on a target, usually carried out by warplanes, drones, or guided missiles.
An air strike destroyed the bridge that linked the two villages.
air strike (compound noun)
The army carried out a missile strike on a weapons depot at dawn.
carry out a strike on [target]
Christopher reported live from the city after the drone strike hit the harbour.
Officials warned that any further strike against the capital would be met with force.
The strike lasted only minutes but left the runway unusable for days.
文法句型
a strike (on/against something)
an [air/missile/drone] strike
用法筆記
Almost always in compound nouns naming the weapon ('air strike', 'missile strike', 'drone strike') or the goal ('precision strike', 'retaliatory strike'). Standard verbs: 'carry out', 'launch', 'order'.
常見錯誤
7. in cricket, the playing position held by whichever batter currently faces the bo
in cricket, the playing position held by whichever batter currently faces the bowler and waits to receive the next delivery.
Owen was on strike when the fast bowler delivered the final ball of the over.
set phrase: on strike (cricket position)
After a quick single, Anong took strike at the other end of the pitch.
collocation: take strike
The captain told Yuna to keep the strike and protect the younger batter.
With Talia on strike, the crowd at Lord's grew quiet before the bowler ran in.
文法句型
on strike (cricket)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in cricket commentary and reporting. Common fixed phrases: 'on strike', 'take strike', 'keep the strike', 'rotate the strike'.
8. a moment when miners or drillers find oil, gold, or another valuable material be
a moment when miners or drillers find oil, gold, or another valuable material below the ground.
The oil strike in 1901 turned the small Texas town of Beaumont into a boomtown.
collocation: oil strike
Yasmin's great-grandfather made his fortune from a gold strike in northern Australia.
collocation: gold strike
News of the silver strike brought thousands of hopeful miners to the desert valley.
Engineers celebrated their first major gas strike after drilling for nearly two years.
文法句型
a strike of [substance]
an oil/gold strike
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by the substance found ('oil strike', 'gold strike', 'silver strike', 'gas strike'). Distinguish from sense 9 (sporting success): this sense always involves digging or drilling.
9. a sudden moment of scoring or breakthrough in a sport — for example, putting the
a sudden moment of scoring or breakthrough in a sport — for example, putting the ball into the net during a football match, or dismissing a batter while bowling.
Isabela's late strike from outside the box gave Brazil a 2-1 win over Argentina.
collocation: late strike (football goal)
The bowler's unexpected strike in the final over turned the match around.
Élise scored a brilliant strike with her left foot from twenty metres out.
Two quick strikes in five minutes lifted United from 1-0 down to 2-1 ahead.
文法句型
a strike for [team]
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/4 (a forceful blow or attack): this sense is positive and refers to scoring or dismissing in sport, not to physical impact. Often paired with adjectives like 'late', 'brilliant', 'spectacular'.
10. in tenpin bowling, a turn in which the player knocks down every pin with the ver
in tenpin bowling, a turn in which the player knocks down every pin with the very first roll.
Gita threw three strikes in a row and won the family bowling night easily.
collocation: throw a strike; three in a row
Kian needed one more strike in the tenth frame to beat his older brother.
set context: tenth frame
The screen flashed when Christopher rolled his first strike of the evening.
Two perfect strikes at the end pushed Rachel's score above 200.
- spare
knocking pins down across two rolls instead of one
文法句型
bowl/get/throw a strike
用法筆記
Common verbs: 'bowl', 'throw', 'roll', 'get'. Three strikes in a row is called a 'turkey'. Don't confuse with sense 11 (baseball failure) — in bowling a strike is the best possible result.
11. in baseball, a throw counted against the hitter — either because it crosses the
in baseball, a throw counted against the hitter — either because it crosses the legal area above home plate, or because the hitter swings and misses, or hits the ball foul; three of these end the hitter's turn at bat.
Mathieu swung hard and missed, giving the pitcher a second strike in the inning.
structure: a [first/second/third] strike
The umpire called a strike even though the batter never moved the bat.
collocation: call a strike
With two strikes already against him, the young batter looked nervous at the plate.
A fastball straight down the middle was an easy strike for the Yankees pitcher.
- ball
a pitch outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at
文法句型
a strike (against the batter)
用法筆記
American sport; uncommon outside US baseball coverage. Note that 'a strike' here is bad for the batter but good for the pitcher — opposite force from sense 10 (bowling).
常見錯誤
12. a problem, weak point, or unfair disadvantage that makes success harder — often
a problem, weak point, or unfair disadvantage that makes success harder — often counted, as in 'two strikes against you'.
Coming from a small school was already one strike against Owen at the interview.
set phrase: a strike against [someone]
Anong knew that arriving late was a strike against her on her very first day.
With two strikes against the proposal, the committee was unlikely to approve it.
Yuna's poor handwriting was a small strike against an otherwise excellent essay.
- drawback
neutral; any negative feature
- disadvantage
more formal and general
- mark against
British equivalent of 'strike against'
文法句型
a strike against [someone/something]
have [number] strikes against you
用法筆記
The metaphor comes from baseball (sense 11). Almost always appears in the fixed pattern 'a strike against [someone/something]' or 'have [one/two/three] strikes against [someone]'. Three strikes implies near-certain failure.