strike down

verb

struck down; struck down also stricken down; striking down; strikes down

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

• abolish
• repeal
• cancel
• set aside
• roll back
• avoid
• overturn

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

The Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in February of this year, and no checks were ever issued. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026

The new Amendment 3, which Republican lawmakers placed on the ballot, would strike down the language of that amendment. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

The Supreme Court had struck down colleges’ ability to use race as one factor among many in their admissions decisions. — Arian Simone, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

The Supreme Court in turn granted that request and struck down the preliminary order, and again granted the government’s request on Tuesday. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for strike down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

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