What does "ten-strike" mean?
A strike; the knocking down of all ten pins with one delivery of the ball.
Ten-strike
/ˈtɛn.stɹaɪk/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A strike; the knocking down of all ten pins with one delivery of the ball.
- Grammar: ten-strike is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: strike.
- Usage evidence: Yesterday's board meeting was a ten-strike!
How to use "ten-strike"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ten-strike" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ten-strike" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ten-strike" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A strike; the knocking down of all ten pins with one delivery of the ball. dated
"I started to tell him I warn't studying Jeff Middleton, but jest then a lot of whooping bust out in the bowling alley like somebody had made a ten-strike or something, and here come six men busting into the bar whooping and yelling and slapping one of 'em on the back."
- 2 a score in tenpins: knocking down all ten with the first ball wordnet
- 3 Any quick, decisive stroke or act. US, dated, informal
"At his lowest ebb, when his black suit was in pawn, he made a ten-strike—or so it seemed to him—in a prize contest arranged by the County Committee of the Republican Party. There were three branches of the contest, and he entered them all, laughing at himself bitterly the while in that he was driven to such straits to live."
- 4 A perfectly chosen word or phrase; an exact bit of wording that “solves” a problem (especially in adapting or drafting principles, slogans, or statements). slang
"...when the founders of Narcotics Anonymous ... made a tenstrike ... from “powerless over drugs” to “powerless over our addiction”."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Yesterday's board meeting was a ten-strike!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ten-strike"?
Common synonyms include: strike.
How do you use "ten-strike" in a sentence?
Yesterday's board meeting was a ten-strike!
How do you pronounce "ten-strike"?
Pronounced /ˈtɛn.stɹaɪk/.
Etymology
From ten + strike.