Meaning & use
strikes
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“strikes” is a form of “strike”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Occasions when workers stop working as a protest about pay or conditions.
Grammar: Plural of 'strike'; use 'a strike' for one occasion.
Patterns
- go on strike
- strikes over something
- call a strike
The strikes at the factory lasted three weeks.
Repeated strikes have slowed deliveries across the country.
Union leaders warned of more strikes if talks fail.
verbtransitive
Hits someone or something with force, or attacks suddenly.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'He strikes the ball.' The past form is 'struck'.
Patterns
- strike someone/something
- strike a blow
The clock strikes twelve at midnight.
Lightning rarely strikes the same place twice.
She strikes the drum with a steady rhythm.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Comes suddenly into someone's mind, or gives someone a particular impression.
Grammar: Often used with 'it': 'It strikes me that...' or 'It strikes me as odd.'
Patterns
- it strikes someone that
- strike someone as something
It strikes me that we have met before.
His calm manner strikes everyone as unusual.
A thought suddenly struck her during the meeting.
nouncountablesport
In baseball, a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that passes through the strike zone.
Grammar: Countable; three strikes mean the batter is out.
Patterns
- throw a strike
- three strikes
The pitcher threw three strikes in a row.
He swung late and got another strike.
Word forms
| base form | strike |
|---|---|
| past tense | struck |
| past participle | struck |
| -ing form | striking |
Common combinations
- go on strike
- Bus drivers went on strike over pay.
- a wave of strikes
- A wave of strikes hit the rail network.
- strike a balance
- Good managers strike a balance between speed and quality.
- strike a deal
- The two firms struck a deal last week.
- strike gold
- The miners struck gold deep underground.
Synonyms and how they differ
- walkout
- A walkout is a sudden strike, often short; 'strike' is the general word for any organized stoppage.
- hit
- 'Hit' is the everyday verb for striking something; 'strike' sounds slightly more formal or forceful.
- impress
- 'Impress' is close to 'strike someone as' but does not use the same 'as' pattern.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: strikes or stroke? strikes or streak?
strikes vs stroke
A stroke is a sudden illness or a gentle movement of the hand; 'strike' means a hit or a work stoppage.
strikes vs streak
A streak is a long mark or a series of events; it sounds similar but has a different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'strikes' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'The clock strikes twelve' correctly uses the third-person singular verb. Option 0 wrongly uses a verb form after 'are', option 2 wrongly adds 'to', and option 3 uses a plural verb with a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “strikes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.