"Strike up" is only ever a verb, so the whole collocation question comes down to one thing: which noun follows it.
"Strike up" naturally pairs with a small set of informal, socially-toned nouns — a conversation, a chat, a rapport, an acquaintance, a friendship, a partnership, a collaboration, a working relationship, an alliance, a correspondence. It does not naturally pair with formal or procedural nouns like a deal, a contract, a meeting, an agenda, a lawsuit, an audit, a strategy, a budget, a deadline, or a protocol.
Two natural groups of targets
The natural targets cluster into two groups: single-interaction targets (a conversation, a chat) and ongoing-bond targets (a friendship, a relationship, an acquaintance, a partnership, a collaboration, a working relationship, an alliance, a correspondence).
"Strike up a rapport" is attested and correct, but "build" or "establish rapport" is the safer, more common default in polished business prose.
What never pairs with strike up
Formal and procedural nouns never collocate with strike up regardless of context: a deal, a contract, a meeting, an agenda, a lawsuit, an audit, a strategy, a budget, a deadline, and a protocol all need a different verb.
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Lyra Practice teaches advanced non-native professionals the nuance of high-value expressions like this one, then has you practice using them in realistic work scenarios.
Start learning for free →"She struck up a conversation with the keynote speaker" and "they struck up a friendship over the following months" — a single-interaction target and an ongoing-bond target, both natural.
"The two firms struck up a collaboration after the joint proposal succeeded, and the working relationship has grown since" — two ongoing-bond nouns, both natural pairings.
"We struck up a contract with the vendor" and "they struck up the budget review" are both unnatural — a contract is negotiated, and a budget review is held or conducted, not struck up.
Practice scenarios
Practice using strike up in situations like:
- choosing the right noun to follow strike up in a sentence about a new contact
- choosing the right noun for an ongoing bond, like a friendship or partnership
- catching a formal noun that should never follow strike up
Useful practice phrases:
- "I struck up a conversation with..."
- "They struck up a collaboration after..."
- "We struck up a rapport with... (or, more formally: we established rapport with...)"
A short, informal noun after strike up sounds right almost every time.
A formal, procedural one never does — no context rescues it.
Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.