What Does โStrike sth downโ Mean?
โStrike sth downโ means to officially declare something invalid or illegal, often by a court or authority. It can also mean to physically knock something to the ground.
Introduction
The phrase โStrike sth downโ has two main uses in English. The first is legal: when a law or rule is declared invalid by a court, we say it is โstruck down.โ The second use is physical, meaning to hit or knock something so it falls. Understanding the Strike sth down meaning is important because it is common in news, legal discussions, and everyday conversations. This phrasal verb helps express actions clearly whether in legal or physical contexts.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: strike something down
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to declare something invalid or to knock something to the ground
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โStrike sth downโ is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object between โstrikeโ and โdownโ or after โdown.โ
- strike something down
- strike down something
Both are correct, but the first is more common.
How to Use Strike sth down?
Use โstrike sth downโ when talking about laws, rules, or decisions that are officially canceled or rejected. For example, โThe court struck down the new law.โ You can also use it when describing hitting or knocking something to the ground, like โHe struck down the opponent with one punch.โ
Examples
Here are some examples of Strike sth down in a sentence:
- The judge struck down the controversial law yesterday.
- The governmentโs decision was struck down by the Supreme Court.
- She struck down the vase by accident while cleaning.
- The boxer struck down his opponent in the third round.
- The court struck down the regulation as unconstitutional.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the word order or use the wrong preposition. Here are some examples:
- Incorrect: The law was struck off down by the court.
- Correct: The law was struck down by the court.
- Incorrect: He struck down with the hammer.
- Correct: He struck down the wall with the hammer.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include โknock downโ and โthrow out.โ โKnock downโ focuses more on physically hitting something to make it fall. โThrow outโ is often used for rejecting ideas or cases but less formal in legal contexts. โStrike downโ is more formal and often used in law.
Common Collocations
You will often see โstrike sth downโ used with:
- law โ a rule or regulation declared invalid
- decision โ a formal judgment canceled
- court โ the authority making the ruling
- opponent โ a person being hit or defeated
- proposal โ an idea or plan rejected
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of strike sth down:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using โstrike sth downโ:
Anna: Did you hear the court struck down the new tax law?
Ben: Yes, that means itโs no longer valid.
Anna: Exactly. It wonโt affect us anymore.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
- a) The court struck the law down yesterday.
- b) The court struck down the law yesterday.
- c) The court struck down on the law yesterday.
Answer: b) The court struck down the law yesterday.
FAQ
- What does โstrike sth downโ mean in law? It means to officially cancel or declare a law or rule invalid.
- Can โstrike sth downโ be used physically? Yes, it can mean to hit or knock something to the ground.
- Is โstrike sth downโ separable? Yes, you can put the object between โstrikeโ and โdownโ or after โdown.โ
- What is a common mistake with this phrasal verb? Using incorrect word order or wrong prepositions.
- Are there synonyms for โstrike sth downโ? Yes, such as โknock downโ (physical) and โthrow outโ (reject).
