strike down

verb

struck down; struck down also stricken down; striking down; strikes down
Synonyms of strike downnext

transitive verb

: annul, nullify
the board struck down the appointment
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the Supreme Court struck down the law

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of strike down in a Sentence

a law that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Conservative lawmakers in a handful of states have introduced various measures encouraging the Supreme Court to strike down Obergefell. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Significantly, Trump’s EPA is also preparing to reconsider and strike down a consequential scientific finding on the dangers of climate pollution that has served as the basis behind federal regulations to curb them. — Ella Nilsen, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025 Conservative judges — true conservatives appointed by Rick Scott, Donald Trump and even DeSantis himself — have repeatedly struck down the governor’s laughably unconstitutional arguments in other cases. — Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025 After the cops who show up on the scene are struck down, Nate steals a police car and chases after the robbers himself, desperate to rescue his new love. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strike down

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike down was in 1779

Rhymes for strike down

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Browse Nearby Words

strike down
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Cite this Entry

“Strike down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20down. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

strike down

verb
: to make null and void : annul
struck down the proposal
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the court struck down the law

Legal Definition

strike down

transitive verb
: annul, nullify
the trustee…can strike down transfers— J. J. White and R. S. Summers
especially : to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
the court struck down death penalty provisions — L. H. Tribe

More from Merriam-Webster on strike down

Nglish: Translation of strike down for Spanish Speakers

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