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

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Example Sentences

a law that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near strike down

strike-dog

strike down

strike fault

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Strike down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20down. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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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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