strike up

verb

struck up; struck up also stricken up; striking up; strikes up

intransitive verb

: to begin to sing or play or to be sung or played

transitive verb

1
: to cause to begin singing or playing
strike up the band
2
: to cause to begin
strike up a conversation

Examples of strike up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
According to a press release, Pitbull and Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman and founding member of Bon Jovi, struck up a friendship after meeting at the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony. Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024 The two strike up a friendship, with Josey telling him about the hero of his life, a girl named Olka who taught him to sew and saved his life. Yvonne Zipp, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2024 The two struck up a friendship before Rodriguez became design director at Cerruti in 1995. Hannah Malach, WWD, 30 Oct. 2024 Swiping left or right endlessly on a dating app, or striking up mindless conversation with a stranger, with hopes of actually meeting in person one day, just to be let down. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strike up 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of strike up was circa 1562

Cite this Entry

“Strike up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20up. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

strike up

verb
1
: to begin or cause to begin to sing or play
strike up the band
2
: to cause to begin
strike up a conversation

More from Merriam-Webster on strike up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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