Walked with long, confident, determined steps (past tense of 'stride').
From Old English 'strīdan' meaning 'to straddle' or 'to stand astride.' The connection to 'stride' is direct—when you stride, you take wide steps as if straddling a large distance. This root goes back to Proto-Germanic, shared with Dutch and German cognates.
The word 'strode' perfectly captures movement—it's one of those English verbs where the sound itself feels dramatic, which is why it's a favorite in adventure novels and movies when a hero walks onto the scene with purpose and confidence.
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