Dictionary

strike in en · VERB

Meanings

1. To enter suddenly or with force.
   • But when that Act is over, all is not done; for, that it may have the better Success, the Husband must not presently separate himself from his Wife’s Embraces, lest the Air should suddenly strike in, and so prevent the Issue of their Labours. 1694, anonymous author, chapter 37, in Aristotle’s Master-piece: or the Secrets of Generation Display’d in All the Parts Thereof, London: W.B, page 177:
   • These grandchildren and great-grandchildren would hold it too mean to live in, cold in winter except where the southern sun struck in, and unceiled and not modern anywhere, and not a fit house for them. 1935, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 4, in A House Divided, London: Methuen, page 341:
   • As sleep is broken, when upon a sudden New light strikes in upon the eyelids closed, 1867, Dante Alighieri, “The Divine Comedy”, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, transl., Purgatorio, volume 2, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, Canto 17, lines 40-41, p. 106:
2. To enter or add to a conversation; to say (something) by way of interruption or addition to a conversation.
   • It is not civil when a Person of Quality hesitates or stops in his discourse, for you to strike in, though with pretence of helping his memory; 1694, N. H., The Ladies Dictionary, London: John Dunton, page 314:
   • […] he behaved modestly, and sat silent, till upon something which occurred in the course of conversation, he suddenly struck in and quoted Macrobius; 1791, James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, Volume 1, Chapter , p. 25:
   • “Why sir——” Maryk began, but Willie quickly struck in: “Stilwell is here, sir.” 1951, Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Part 4, Chapter 18, p. 216:
   • […] Miss Knag, finding that the discourse was turning upon family greatness, lost no time in striking in, with a small reminiscence on her own account. 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 18, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 165:
   • There did this our Talatamtana or Doctour Hum, thrust himselfe into the thickest rankes of the Noblemen and Gallants, and whatsoeuer they were arguing of, he would not misse to catch hold of, or strike in at the one end, and take the theame out of their mouths, 1596, Thomas Nashe, Have with You to Saffron-Walden, London: John Danter:
3. (obsolete) To take action; to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
   • […] a Man must be upon the Place, and deliberate upon Circumstances; and be not only Present, but watchful, to Strike in with the very Nick of the Occasion. 1679, Roger L’Estrange, Seneca’s Morals Abstracted, London: Henry Brome, Epistle 4, p. 36:
   • […] thus much of the first and grand change, to wit, in doctrine, which our Prelates, especially of late dayes have beene a hammering, and now almost (except the Lord Christ strike in, and prevent them) brought to perfection. 1636, Henry Burton, For God and King, Amsterdam: J.F. Stam, page 127:
   • There is an inuisible hand of omnipotency that strikes in for his owne, and confounds their opposites. 1626, Joseph Hall, Contemplations upon the Historicall Part of the Old Testament, volume 8, London: Nath. Butter, page 536:
4. (obsolete) To ally oneself (with someone), to take (someone's) side.
   • 1689, James Heath, Englands Chronicle, London: Benjamin Crayle et al., p. 120, […] King Edward […] raised a considerable Army, and striking in with Edward Baliol, besieged Berwick,
   • […] his Debauch’d Son, kind in his Nature to his Wench, but miserably in want of Money; a Servant or Slave, who has so much wit to strike in with him, and help to dupe his Father, 1668, John Dryden, Of Dramatick Poesie, London: Henry Herringman, page 18:
   • But when he saw that K[ing] Ch[arles] 2. would be restored to his Kingdoms, he then, when he perceived that it could not be hindred, struck in and became instrumental for the recalling of him home, 1692, Anthony Wood, Athenæ Oxoniensis, volume 2, London: Thomas Bennet, page 597:
   • To make himself more considerable, he struck in with the Jewish Converts, and made a bustle in that great controversie at Jerusalem, about Circumcision and the observation of the Law of Moses. 1675, Jeremy Taylor, “The Life of S. John”, in Antiquitates Christianæ, London: R. Royston, page 119:
5. (obsolete) To be or act in harmony (with something).
   • […] whatever strikes in with the natural propensities, and either externally forwards their satisfaction, or internally concurs with their movements, is sure to give a sensible pleasure. 1739, David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, London: John Noon, Volume 1, Part 4, Section 2, p. 359:
   • 1694, John Tillotson, Six Sermons, London: B. Aylmer and W. Rogers, Sermon 2, p. 118, Endeavour, as well as you can, to discover the particular temper and disposition of Children, that you may suit and apply your selves to it, and by striking in with Nature may steer and govern them in the sweetest and easiest way.
   • Not long before this time the Italian Opera began to steal into England […] To strike in therefore with the prevailing fashion, Vanbrugh and Congreve opened their New Theatre in the Hay-market, with a translated Opera, 1753, Robert Shiels, The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland, volume 4, London: R. Griffiths, page 107:

Forms

Synonyms

agree · accord · step in · conform · join · side · intervene · break in · interpose