spike
Third Person
spikes
Present Participle
spiking
Past Tense
spiked
Past Participle
spiked
1
to poke or pierce something with a sharp point
transitive
- The warrior spiked his opponent with a spear during the battle.
- The gardener spiked the soil to aerate it and promote better water absorption.
- She carefully spiked the potato with a fork before baking it.
- She spiked the leather with an awl to create decorative patterns.
2
to add alcohol or a drug to a drink without the knowledge or consent of those who will consume it
transitive
- He spiked the punch with vodka, making it much stronger than expected.
- Someone had spiked her drink at the party, leaving her feeling disoriented.
- The bartender was fired for spiking customers' drinks with a tranquilizer.
- They discovered that someone had spiked the coffee with a sleeping pill.
- The fraternity was suspended after reports of members spiking freshmen's drinks.
3
to experience a sudden increase and reach a peak and then decline rapidly
- Sales spiked during the holiday season but quickly declined in January.
- Interest in the cryptocurrency market spiked last year before plummeting suddenly.
- The temperature spiked to record levels before dropping back down to normal.
- The popularity of the trend spiked on social media but faded away within a week.
- Energy prices spiked during the heatwave but returned to normal once it passed.
4
to secure or fasten something using large nails or metal projections
transitive
- They spiked the wooden planks across the stream to create a makeshift bridge.
- The soldiers spiked the barricade with iron spikes to prevent enemy vehicles from passing through.
- The gardener spiked the netting over the fruit trees to protect them from birds.
- The construction crew spiked the railroad tracks with steel spikes to hold them in place.
- He spiked the fence posts into the ground to create a sturdy barrier.
5
to intentionally suppress, block, or halt spread of something
transitive
- The government spiked the news story to prevent it from reaching the public.
- She spiked the rumor by providing concrete evidence to refute it.
- They spiked the information about the scandal to protect their reputation.
- She spiked the criticism by deflecting blame onto others.
6
(in baseball) to hit someone or something with the sharp points of a player's shoes
- The runner spiked the baseman while sliding into second base.
- The pitcher warned the batter not to spike anyone intentionally.
- The team will spike the base paths during practice to loosen the ground.
- The umpire ruled that the player had spiked the fielder on purpose.
- The coach said the rookie might spike his teammate accidentally if not careful.
7
(in American football) to throw the ball forcefully into the ground either to stop the clock or to celebrate a touchdown
- The quarterback spiked the ball to stop the clock.
- Fans cheered loudly when their favorite player spiked the ball in celebration.
- The quarterback will spike the ball if they need to save time during the game.
- The coach warned the player not to spike the ball unnecessarily.
8
(in volleyball) to jump near the net and hit the ball forcefully downward into the opponent's court
- The player spiked the ball to score a point.
- The coach teaches beginners how to spike correctly.
- The player spiked the ball too hard, sending it out of bounds.
- The opponent will try to block the ball when the hitter spikes it.
- The player has spiked the ball perfectly in every match this season.