striker

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablesport

   In soccer, an attacking player whose main job is to score goals, usually playing near the opponent's goal.

   Grammar: Countable noun; you can say 'a striker' or 'the strikers'. Often used in sports reports and discussions.

   Patterns

   • play as a striker
   • a striker for a team
   • the team's striker

   He plays as a striker for the national team.

   The striker scored twice in the second half.

   They need a new striker to improve their attack.

2. 2nouncountable

   A worker who has stopped working as part of an organized protest to demand better pay or conditions.

   Grammar: Countable noun; often used in news reports about labor disputes.

   Patterns

   • a striker at a factory
   • the strikers returned to work
   • support the strikers

   The strikers are asking for higher wages and safer conditions.

   After two weeks, the strikers agreed to return to work.

   The company hired temporary workers to replace the strikers.

Word forms

Common combinations

star striker

The team's star striker was injured in the first half.

striker partner

He works well with his striker partner.

striker force

The manager strengthened his striker force by signing a new player.

on strike

The workers have been on strike for three days.

Synonyms and how they differ

forward

In soccer, forward is a broader term for any attacking player, while striker is more specific to a goal-scoring role; in American English, forward is often preferred.

attacker

Attacker is a general term for a player who tries to score; striker is more specific to the position.

Opposites

Word family

strike verb

In soccer, to strike means to hit the ball; also used for workers stopping work.

Commonly confused: striker or strike?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “striker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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