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

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

ADV

firmly, hard
He struck her hard across the face
deep
The German army struck deep into northern France
directly
repeatedly
home
(often figurative) The remark struck home

VERB + STRIKE

be ready to, prepare to

PREP

against
The oar struck against something hard
at
He struck at me repeatedly with a stick
into
He struck the ball firmly into the back of the net
on
The ball struck her on the head

ADV

immediately
suddenly
It suddenly struck me how we could improve the situation
just
An awful thought has just struck me
forcibly
Joan was struck quite forcibly by the silence

PREP

as
He struck me as being rather stupid

VERB + STRIKE

threaten to
vote to

PREP

against, for
The union has voted to strike for a pay increase of six per cent
in protest at

PHRASES

the right to strike