This pair tests grammar as well as word choice. In this use, one phrase takes an object, while the other does not.
"Strike up" means to begin something, and in this use it takes a noun object such as "a conversation." "Hit it off" means two people quickly like each other, and it does not take a direct object.
A grammar-and-meaning pairing, not a synonym choice
In this use, "strike up" needs an object because you strike up something. "Hit it off" does not take a direct object: you hit it off with someone. This describes the personal connection, not how the interaction began.
If you mix the patterns, you may say "we struck up well" without an object or "we hit it off a conversation" with the wrong object. Both forms are ungrammatical.
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See how Lyra Practice works →Two verbs for two different facts
"They struck up a conversation at the gate, and it turned out they hit it off immediately." The first phrase marks the beginning, while the second describes their positive connection.
"We struck up well" is wrong because strike up needs a noun object; "We hit it off" is the right way to say the interaction went well.
"We hit it off a conversation about the merger" is wrong because hit it off takes no direct object. "We struck up a conversation about the merger, and we really hit it off" uses both patterns correctly.
Practice scenarios
Practice using strike up in situations like:
- describing a conversation beginning, before knowing how it will go
- describing how well an interaction is going once it has already started
- using both verbs correctly in one story about meeting someone
Useful practice phrases:
- "We struck up a conversation about..."
- "We really hit it off."
- "We struck up a conversation, and we hit it off right away."
You can strike up a conversation that goes badly, while two people can hit it off in a conversation that someone else began.
One phrase describes the beginning, while the other describes how two people relate; check which fact you mean.
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.