Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):
   • To cause to fall by or as if by a forceful blow: To knock something or someone to the ground, often with a single, powerful action.
   • To cause to die, especially suddenly: To kill or fatally afflict someone, often implying a swift or unexpected death.
   • To declare null and void; to make ineffective: To officially invalidate or cancel something, such as a law or ruling, often through legal authority.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The lumberjack will strike down the old pine tree. (Causing to fall by a blow)
  • A sudden illness can strike down even the healthiest person. (Causing sudden death)
  • The Supreme Court voted to strike down the controversial law. (Declaring null and void)

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Judicial Context: Most commonly used to describe the action of a court invalidating a statute, regulation, or legal precedent.

  • The judge struck down the clause as unconstitutional.

• Figurative Use for Ideas or Proposals: Can be used metaphorically to mean decisively rejecting or defeating a plan or argument.

  • The committee chairman struck down the proposal before a vote could be taken.

Variants and Related Words

• Strike (verb): The root verb, meaning to hit, to occur suddenly (e.g., an idea strikes), or to stop work in protest.
• Stricken (adjective): Deeply affected, as by trouble, illness, or emotion. (e.g., , ).

Synonyms

• Fell / Cut down: (For causing to fall)
• Kill / Slay: (For causing death)
• Overturn / Annul / Invalidate / Nullify: (For declaring void)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Strike out: To be unsuccessful; to delete text; in baseball, to be called out on strikes.
• Strike up: To begin something, such as a conversation or a piece of music.

Related Idioms

• Strike a blow for/against: To do something important to support or oppose a cause.
• Strike while the iron is hot: To act decisively at the most opportune moment.

Verb

1. cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
   • strike down a tree
   • Lightning struck down the hikers
2. cause to die, especially suddenly
   • The disease struck down many young men in the village
3. declare null and void; make ineffective
   • Cancel the election results
   • strike down a law