First recorded in 1885–90
First recorded in 1910–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
A group of immigrants at a detention facility in Southern California launched a hunger strike this week to protest inhumane conditions, according to a coalition of immigrant rights groups.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
Smuggled-out information that we were on a hunger strike would elicit newspaper stories, which in turn would generate pressure from advocacy groups.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
