hunkered; hunkering
ˈhəŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 
2
: to settle in or dig in for a sustained period
—used with down
… hunker down for a good long wait.—
New Yorker
New YorkerExamples of hunker in a Sentence
had to hunker down so no one would see him behind the gate
Recent Examples on the Web
Although it is recommended to hunker inside during these stretches, experts say indoor air quality can often be just as bad, if not worse, than outdoor air quality.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2025
Women hunkered in a bare basement; men hunkered in a bare prayer hall.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 12 May 2025
Can there be any doubt that therein hunkers the secret of the enduring power of the moment?
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Pete Marocco has spent much of this month hunkered in an office suite on the seventh floor of the State Department overseeing the dismantling of the architecture for how the United States delivers foreign aid.
—Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker
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Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2025
Women hunkered in a bare basement; men hunkered in a bare prayer hall.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 12 May 2025
Can there be any doubt that therein hunkers the secret of the enduring power of the moment?
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Pete Marocco has spent much of this month hunkered in an office suite on the seventh floor of the State Department overseeing the dismantling of the architecture for how the United States delivers foreign aid.
—Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker
Cite this Entry
“Hunker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunker. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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