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Meaning & use

streak

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/striːk/
US/striːk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A long, narrow line or mark that differs in color or texture from what is around it.

    Grammar: Often with of: a streak of paint.

    Patterns

    • a streak of something
    • streaks of something

    There was a streak of mud on his cheek.

    She dyed a streak of blue into her hair.

    The window had streaks after cleaning.

  2. nouncountable

    An unbroken run of similar events or results, especially wins or losses.

    Grammar: Usually with winning or losing: on a winning streak.

    Patterns

    • a streak of something
    • on a streak

    The team's winning streak ended at nine games.

    She is on a hot streak, scoring in every match.

    A losing streak left them at the bottom.

  3. nounsingularfigurative

    A hidden trait in someone's character, often a negative one.

    Grammar: Used with of and a quality: a streak of stubbornness.

    Patterns

    • a streak of something
    • a mean streak

    He has a stubborn streak.

    She shows a mean streak when she loses.

  4. verbintransitive

    To move extremely fast, leaving a quick line of motion.

    Grammar: No object; usually followed by a direction word: streaked past.

    Patterns

    • streak across something
    • streak past

    A comet streaked across the sky.

    The cat streaked past us into the garden.

  5. verbtransitive

    To mark something with narrow lines of color or dirt.

    Grammar: Often passive: streaked with dirt.

    Patterns

    • streak something with something

    Rain streaked the windows with dirt.

    Gray streaked his hair.

  6. verbintransitiveinformal

    To run naked in a public place as a joke or protest.

    Grammar: Usually refers to a stunt: someone streaked across the pitch.

    Patterns

    • streak across something

    A fan streaked across the field during the match.

Word forms

pluralstreaks
third person singular (verb)streaks
past tense (verb)streaked
past participle (verb)streaked
-ing form (verb)streaking

Common combinations

winning streak
The club kept its winning streak alive.
losing streak
A losing streak cost the coach his job.
streak of luck
He had a streak of luck at the casino.
stubborn streak
She has a stubborn streak.
streak of light
A streak of light crossed the sky.
streaks in hair
She had gray streaks in her hair.

Synonyms and how they differ

stripe
Stripe usually means a wide band that is a regular part of a pattern, while streak is often irregular.
run
Run is the plain word for a series of similar events, with less sense of luck.
trace
Trace means a small sign of something, not a visible line.
dash
Dash means to hurry, with less sense of a fast, visible line.

Word family

streaky adjective
marked with lines
streaker noun
a person who runs naked in public
streaking noun
the act of running naked in public, or of making lines
streaked adjective
marked with lines

Commonly confused: streak or streek? streak or stripe?

streak vs streek

This is a misspelling; the correct spelling is streak.

streak vs stripe

A stripe is a band that is often deliberate.

Practice

The team has won eight matches in a row. Which phrase describes this?

Make it your own

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