strike down
To knock someone down, kill them, or (for a court or illness) to destroy something or make someone very ill.
Meanings
To hit someone hard enough to knock them to the ground or kill them.
"The warrior was struck down in the final battle."
(Of illness or misfortune) To cause someone to become seriously ill or disabled.
"He was struck down by a rare virus just days before his retirement."
(Legal) For a court to officially declare a law or decision invalid or unconstitutional.
"The Supreme Court struck down the new electoral law on constitutional grounds."
Has three distinct senses: physical violence, fatal illness, and legal context. The legal sense (a court striking down a law) is common in formal journalism. The illness sense is slightly literary.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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