strike a pose

Freeze for photographers

Strike a pose is to assume a deliberate, often dramatic posture for effect—typically for a photograph, an audience, or a mirror.

The phrase suggests self-conscious display, sometimes with a hint of vanity or theatrical flair: She struck a pose on the red carpet.

Madonna's 1990 song "Vogue" cemented the phrase in pop culture, linking it to runway modeling and ballroom dance culture.

Related

fashion · photo shoot · red carpet · tableau · balance · stance · composition · iconography · silhouette · Madonna · poise · persona · modeling · self-presentation · vogue · death drop · mimicry · form

Categories
Opposites
deliberateness

strike a poseact naturally

Simulate genuine behavior

relax · let loose · be yourself · loosen up · go with the flow

stillness vs. motion

strike a posekeep moving

Sustain your momentum

fidget · mill about · go limp · pace · wander

visibility and display

strike a poseblend in

Become part of surroundings

shrink away · hide · shy away · turn away

Family

strike, pose, strikes, struck, stricken, striking, striker, strikers, poses

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G