batten down
phrasal verb
battened down; battening down; battens down
1
: to prepare for possible trouble or difficulty
People are battening down in preparation for a fierce storm.
2
: to tie, close, or cover (something) in order to prevent it from moving or becoming damaged
Everything on the ship's deck was battened down.
Examples of batten down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Italian luxury sports carmaker Ferrari usually rides out any financial storms while lesser mortals issue profit warnings and are forced to batten down the hatches to ward off trouble.
—
Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Despite all the tumult that’s prompted other players in this notoriously risk-averse business to batten down the hatches, BMW is proceeding with its break-glass procedure.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
Nashville battens down the hatches with Jim Cantore spotting
The post, originally posted by Weather Channel producer Steve Petyerak, shared the news that Cantore was in town.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Jan. 2025
To batten down against inclement weather, campers can install the weatherproof canopy over top the mesh roof.
—New Atlas, 7 July 2025
Landon Holman and his crew were battening down the hatches and tying down canopies.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Tennesseans should batten down the hatches this weekend.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Mar. 2025
Trade and tariff uncertainty has prompted companies in numerous sectors to batten down the hatches.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
In times like this, some may be tempted to batten down the hatches, control costs, and simply wait for the headwinds to pass.
—Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
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Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Despite all the tumult that’s prompted other players in this notoriously risk-averse business to batten down the hatches, BMW is proceeding with its break-glass procedure.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
Nashville battens down the hatches with Jim Cantore spotting
The post, originally posted by Weather Channel producer Steve Petyerak, shared the news that Cantore was in town.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Jan. 2025
To batten down against inclement weather, campers can install the weatherproof canopy over top the mesh roof.
—New Atlas, 7 July 2025
Landon Holman and his crew were battening down the hatches and tying down canopies.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Tennesseans should batten down the hatches this weekend.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Mar. 2025
Trade and tariff uncertainty has prompted companies in numerous sectors to batten down the hatches.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
In times like this, some may be tempted to batten down the hatches, control costs, and simply wait for the headwinds to pass.
—Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Batten down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batten%20down. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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