1
: the lair of a wild usually predatory animal
2
a(1)
: a hollow or cavern used especially as a hideout
(2)
: a center of secret activity
b
: a small usually squalid dwelling
3
: a comfortable usually secluded room
4
: a subdivision of a Cub Scout pack made up of two or more boys
5
British
: a small structure built by children as a place to play, hide, or provide shelter
We roamed the fields and made dens in the hedges, dragging old logs and brushwood with scraps of canvas and rope to make shelters to hide in.—
Pat Smith
Pat Smith
denned; denning
: to live in or retire to a den
polar bears den in ice caves or snowdrifts
: to drive into a den
Denmark
Examples of den in a Sentence
Noun
The bears will spend most of the winter in their den.
The TV is in the den.
He spent most evenings in the den reading and smoking his pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Helen Whybrow
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Sightings may increase after rain, not because the weather directly draws them out, but because flooding forces them to leave their dens or shelters in search of higher, drier ground.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Parks and Wildlife officials have identified four potential wolf dens this spring but have not yet confirmed how many wolf pups have been born.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for den
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Noun
The family makes a den and claims a territory of up to ten miles around it, defending their hunting ground from other mating pairs who might try to settle.
—Helen Whybrow
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Sightings may increase after rain, not because the weather directly draws them out, but because flooding forces them to leave their dens or shelters in search of higher, drier ground.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Verb
When wolves are denning, they’re anchored to one spot — the den — upping the chances of finding them.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Parks and Wildlife officials have identified four potential wolf dens this spring but have not yet confirmed how many wolf pups have been born.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for den
Cite this Entry
“Den.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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