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• hunger strike
  hunger strike

  noun

  a deliberate refusal to eat, undertaken in protest against imprisonment, improper treatment, objectionable conditions, etc.
• hunger-strike
  hunger-strike

  verb (used without object)

  to go on a hunger strike.

hunger strike

¹ American  

noun

1. a deliberate refusal to eat, undertaken in protest against imprisonment, improper treatment, objectionable conditions, etc.

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hunger-strike ² American  

[huhng-ger-strahyk] / ˈhʌŋ gərˌstraɪk /

verb (used without object)

hunger-struck, hunger-striking

1. to go on a hunger strike.

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hunger strike British  

noun

1. a voluntary fast undertaken, usually by a prisoner, as a means of protest

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hunger striker
  noun
• hunger striker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hunger strike¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of hunger-strike²

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

The son of a British couple jailed in Iran has called for a prisoner exchange to be explored to secure their release, as the pair remain on hunger strike.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Since the start of the detainees strike, the Department of Homeland Security has denied there’s an ongoing hunger strike.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

Protesters clashed with US law enforcement outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey, a top US official said Friday, after inmates inside staged a hunger strike over conditions.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Sen. Kim, who had visited the facility after hearing about the hunger strike, was among those caught in the chemical irritant.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

After the Night of Terror, several dozen other women joined with Alice Paul in her hunger strike to protest their unfair and intolerable treatment.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• fasting