hunker down
phrasal verb
hunkered down; hunkering down; hunkers down
chiefly US
1
: to lower the body to the ground by bending the legs
The hikers hunkered down under a cliff until the storm passed.
2
: to stay in a place for a period of time
The leaders hunkered down at a country estate for difficult peace negotiations.
Examples of hunker down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Immigrant students were more likely to hunker down at home when immigration enforcement was active near a school campus, missing crucial lessons to protect their families from being targeted, Dee's research shows.
—
Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The two recall ignoring all the beautiful landscapes and wild buffalo out the window the entire time, hunkering down in their notebook to write the song.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Olbinski ran to his car, while others hunkered down and braved the brutal winds and whipping sand.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
At the same time, the air defense network NATO members would rely on in the event of a Russian attack is threadbare and officials are clear that air defenses are a top priority as the alliance's members hunker down to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The two recall ignoring all the beautiful landscapes and wild buffalo out the window the entire time, hunkering down in their notebook to write the song.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Olbinski ran to his car, while others hunkered down and braved the brutal winds and whipping sand.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
At the same time, the air defense network NATO members would rely on in the event of a Russian attack is threadbare and officials are clear that air defenses are a top priority as the alliance's members hunker down to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
Cite this Entry
“Hunker down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunker%20down. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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