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
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
That has investors battening down the hatches, expecting long-term volatility.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
The setup lets campers adjust to the conditions between fully battened down in bad weather to open mesh for warm, stuffy nights.
—New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2025
Left and right vents at the rooftop provide airflow when fully battened down.
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2025
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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
That has investors battening down the hatches, expecting long-term volatility.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
The setup lets campers adjust to the conditions between fully battened down in bad weather to open mesh for warm, stuffy nights.
—New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2025
Left and right vents at the rooftop provide airflow when fully battened down.
—New Atlas, 4 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Batten down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batten%20down. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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