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 of strike down

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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.
The justices struck down his worldwide tariffs, ruling these import taxes are a matter for Congress, not the president. — Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 The escort policy was implemented in March after a ruling by Friedman that had struck down earlier restrictions. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Still, that clause could be struck down if Kelce establishes his professional identity in Hollywood as Kelce-Swift by the time of their divorce. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026 The Supreme Court struck down limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with their candidates in a 6-3 decision split along ideological lines. — Michel Martin, NPR, 1 July 2026 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-dog
strike down
strike fault
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strike down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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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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