strike noun
1 industrial protest
ADJ. long | short | indefinite | crippling, damaging, major | bitter | official | illegal, unofficial, unlawful | protest | token, warning | lightning, wildcat a series of lightning strikes in parts of the coal industry | all-out, general, mass, national, nationwide A general strike brought the country to a standstill. | hunger | sit-down | political | sympathy The suppression of the strike led to sympathy strikes in other industries. | pay, rent | dock, dockers', miners', postal, train, etc.
QUANT. series, wave
VERB + STRIKE be on | come out on, go on, join, take part in | call (sb out on), organize, stage The union leaders called a strike. He called all the workers out on strike. | avert, prevent | threaten More train strikes are threatened. | begin, start | call off, end | break (up), crush The army was used to help break the strike. | settle | ban The new government banned strikes.
STRIKE + VERB occur, take place | start | end | last | spread The strike soon spread to other cities. | paralyse sth The strike paralysed the port.
STRIKE + NOUN action Prison officers are threatening to take strike action. | ballot, call, threat | leader | breaker | committee, movement
PREP. during a/the ~ There was a continual police presence during the strike. | ~ against a strike against the employment of non-union labour | ~ by a strike by tax collectors | ~ for a strike for a ten-hour day | ~ in protest at a strike in protest at the government's economic policies | ~ in support of Miners staged a one-day strike in support of the steel workers. | ~ over a strike over wages
PHRASES days lost in/through strikes Unofficial action accounted for 40% of the days lost through strikes last year.
2 sudden military attack
ADJ. air, military, nuclear | pre-emptive | retaliatory
VERB + STRIKE carry out, launch, make
PREP. in a/the ~ The house was damaged in an air strike. | ~ against/on The aircraft carried out a pre-emptive strike against bases in the north.