strike in

English

Verb

strike in (third-person singular simple present strikes in, present participle striking in, simple past struck in, past participle struck in or stricken in)

1. To enter suddenly or with force.
   • 1694, anonymous author, chapter 37, in Aristotle’s Master-piece: or the Secrets of Generation Display’d in All the Parts Thereof‎^[1], London: W.B, page 177:

     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.

   • 1867, Dante Alighieri, “The Divine Comedy”, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, transl., Purgatorio‎^[2], volume 2, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, Canto 17, lines 40-41, p. 106:

     As sleep is broken, when upon a sudden
     New light strikes in upon the eyelids closed,

   • 1935, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 4, in A House Divided‎^[3], London: Methuen, page 341:

     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.

2. To enter or add to a conversation; to say (something) by way of interruption or addition to a conversation.

   Synonyms: break in, interpose

   • 1596, Thomas Nashe, Have with You to Saffron-Walden‎^[4], London: John Danter:

     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,

   • 1694, N. H., The Ladies Dictionary‎^[5], London: John Dunton, page 314:

     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;

   • 1791, James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson‎^[6], London: Charles Dilly, Volume 1, Chapter , p. 25:

     […] he behaved modestly, and sat silent, till upon something which occurred in the course of conversation, he suddenly struck in and quoted Macrobius;

   • 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:

     […] 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.

   • 1951, Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny‎^[7], Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Part 4, Chapter 18, p. 216:

     “Why sir——” Maryk began, but Willie quickly struck in: “Stilwell is here, sir.”

3. (obsolete) To take action; to become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.

   Synonyms: intervene, step in

   • 1626, Joseph Hall, Contemplations upon the Historicall Part of the Old Testament‎^[8], volume 8, London: Nath. Butter, page 536:

     There is an inuisible hand of omnipotency that strikes in for his owne, and confounds their opposites.

   • 1636, Henry Burton, For God and King‎^[9], Amsterdam: J.F. Stam, page 127:

     […] 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.

   • 1679, Roger L’Estrange, Seneca’s Morals Abstracted‎^[10], London: Henry Brome, Epistle 4, p. 36:

     […] 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.

4. (obsolete) To ally oneself (with someone), to take (someone's) side.

   Synonyms: join, side

   • 1668, John Dryden, Of Dramatick Poesie‎^[11], London: Henry Herringman, page 18:

     […] 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,

   • 1675, Jeremy Taylor, “The Life of S. John”, in Antiquitates Christianæ‎^[12], London: R. Royston, page 119:

     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.

   • 1689, James Heath, Englands Chronicle, London: Benjamin Crayle et al., p. 120,^[13]

     […] King Edward […] raised a considerable Army, and striking in with Edward Baliol, besieged Berwick,

   • 1692, Anthony Wood, Athenæ Oxoniensis‎^[14], volume 2, London: Thomas Bennet, page 597:

     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,

5. (obsolete) To be or act in harmony (with something).

   Synonyms: accord, agree, conform

   • 1694, John Tillotson, Six Sermons, London: B. Aylmer and W. Rogers, Sermon 2, p. 118,^[15]

     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.

   • 1739, David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature‎^[16], London: John Noon, Volume 1, Part 4, Section 2, p. 359:

     […] 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.

   • 1753, Robert Shiels, The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland‎^[17], volume 4, London: R. Griffiths, page 107:

     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,

Anagrams

• Kirstein, Kristine, stinkier