strike up
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To suddenly start playing music, or to start talking to someone and begin a friendship.
Literal meaning: To strike (play) upward — 'up' suggests starting from zero and initiating.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
(Of a band, orchestra, or musician) To begin playing a piece of music.
"As the bride entered the room, the orchestra struck up the wedding march."
Grammar: separable
2 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To begin a conversation, friendship, or relationship, often spontaneously.
"She struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to her on the train."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Extremely common in two contexts: music ('the band struck up a tune') and social connections ('strike up a conversation/friendship'). The musical sense implies a sudden, energetic beginning.
Commonly used with
conversation friendship band tune relationship acquaintance alliance
Forms
Base
strike up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
strikes up
he/she/it
Past simple
striked up
yesterday
Past participle
striked up
have + pp
-ing form
striking up
continuous
Understand "strike up" better
Try:
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Synonyms
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "strike up" on Looplines