strike through: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Technical, Administrative, Literary
Quick answer
What does “strike through” mean?
To draw a line horizontally through text to indicate deletion or cancellation, while leaving it legible.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To draw a line horizontally through text to indicate deletion or cancellation, while leaving it legible.
Used metaphorically to suggest overcoming, penetrating, or invalidating something (e.g., 'fear struck through him', 'the deal was struck through').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Strike out' is more common than 'strike through' for textual deletion in general US usage.
Connotations
UK: Strong association with formal editing, accounting, and legal documents. US: Slightly stronger association with proofreading marks and word processing.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in technical/administrative contexts. Rare in casual speech in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “strike through” in a Sentence
[Someone] strikes through [something].[Something] is struck through (by someone).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “strike through” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The clerk will strike through the voided entries in the ledger.
- Strike through any confidential information before filing.
American English
- Just strike through the old address and write the new one next to it.
- The editor struck through the redundant paragraph.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Please strike through the outdated pricing in the contract draft.
Academic
The researcher chose to strike through the flawed data, keeping it visible for transparency.
Everyday
I'll just strike through the wrong date and write the correct one above it.
Technical
Use the 'Strikethrough' formatting tool (Ctrl+Shift+X) to strike through the selected text.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “strike through”
- Using 'strike out' interchangeably (can mean 'to start doing something new' or 'to fail in baseball').
- Confusing 'strike through' (visible deletion) with 'delete' (invisible removal).
- Incorrect word order: 'through strike'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
As a noun or adjective, it is often written as one closed word ('strikethrough') or hyphenated ('strike-through'), especially in computing. The verb form is typically the phrasal verb 'strike through'.
They are largely synonymous. 'Strike through' can sound more formal or technical, while 'cross out' is more everyday. 'Strike through' often implies a single, clean line, whereas 'cross out' might imply more haphazard marking.
Its primary use is for text or figures. Metaphorically, it can be used poetically/literally (e.g., 'The arrow struck through his armour'). For physically crossing a space (e.g., a forest), 'strike through' is archaic; use 'go/cut/pass through'.
The text was struck through. The incorrect totals have been struck through. Note: 'Stricken through' is less common and can sound archaic.
To draw a line horizontally through text to indicate deletion or cancellation, while leaving it legible.
Strike through is usually formal, technical, administrative, literary in register.
Strike through: in British English it is pronounced /ˌstraɪk ˈθruː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌstraɪk ˈθruː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Strike through the heart (literary: to affect deeply/pierce).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a knight's sword STRIKING THROUGH a line of text on a parchment, leaving a visible slash but not erasing it.
Conceptual Metaphor
VISIBLE NEGATION IS A LINE THROUGH TEXT.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'strike through' LEAST likely to be used?