Strike vs You ran him over

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Strike

Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb

You ran him over

Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Strike
 StrikeYou ran him over
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/straɪk/","/straɪks/","/strʌk/","/ˈstraɪkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/straɪk/","/straɪks/","/strʌk/","/ˈstraɪkɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //juː ræn hɪm ˈəʊvə//🇺🇸 //ju ræn hɪm ˈoʊvɚ//
Meaningto hit something or to stop working as a protestYou hit him with your vehicle.
ExampleThe workers decided to strike for better wages and working conditions.He didn't see the crossing guard and accidentally ran him over.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 3,000 (common)
CEFR levelB2-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsfirmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, immediately, suddenly, just, as, immediately, suddenly, just, as, threaten to, vote to, be set to, against, for, in protest at, the right to strike, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by somethingaccidentally run over, safely run over, was run over, ran over by a vehicle, could have run over
Antonymssurrender, accept-
Common mistakesConfused with 'struck' as past tense, Using 'strike' for non-physical hits like arguments, Saying 'the worker strike' instead of 'the workers' strike'Confused with 'run over' as in 'surpass' population, Incorrectly using present tense with 'ran' in past events
Usage notesUse 'strike' when talking about hitting something or when workers stop working to demand change. It's neutral in tone, fitting for both formal and casual situations. Avoid in overly technical discussions about labor laws.Typically used to describe an accident involving a vehicle. It is a neutral phrase but can sound harsh depending on the context. Avoid in sensitive discussions about accidents.

See it in real clips

Strike
You ran him over

Frequently asked questions: Strike vs You ran him over

What's the difference between Strike and You ran him over?

Strike: to hit something or to stop working as a protest You ran him over: You hit him with your vehicle.

Which is more common: Strike and You ran him over?

Strike is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Strike: The workers decided to strike for better wages and working conditions. You ran him over: He didn't see the crossing guard and accidentally ran him over.

Can I use Strike and You ran him over interchangeably?

Not always. Strike and You ran him over are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.