huddled; huddling
ˈhə-dᵊl-iŋ 
ˈhəd-liŋ
1
a
: to crowd together
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free …—
Emma Lazarus
Emma Lazarus
b
: to draw (oneself) together : crouch
People were huddled around their radios.
2
: to wrap oneself closely in
huddled her coat around her
3
British
: to arrange carelessly or hurriedly
… things happened as in a badly directed moving picture, all huddled, all hurried …—Donn Byrne
Donn Byrnethe solemnities had to be huddled through at express speed—Manchester Examiner
Manchester Examiner1
a
: to gather in a close-packed group
They huddled around the campfire.
b
: to curl up : crouch
Students huddled over their desks.
2
a
: to hold a consultation
huddled to discuss the proposal
b
American football
: to gather away from the line of scrimmage to receive instructions (as from the quarterback) for the next down (see down entry 5 sense 3b) : to gather in a huddle (see huddle entry 2 sense 2b)
1
: a close-packed group : bunch
huddles of children
a huddle of cottages
2
a
: meeting, conference
The boss is in a huddle with the marketing director.
b
American football
: a brief gathering of players away from the line of scrimmage to receive instructions (as from the quarterback) for the next down (see down entry 5 sense 3b)
Examples of huddle in a Sentence
Verb
We huddled around the campfire.
The sheep huddled together for warmth.
The students huddled over their desks.
Union representatives are huddling to discuss the proposal.
Noun
sheep standing in a huddle
The boss is in a huddle with the marketing director.
The quarterback called the offense into a huddle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
In the weeks that followed, Farber and his teammates huddled, brainstorming ways to support Ben.
—Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
As 39% of the United Kingdom populace struggles to heat their homes, Edelstyn and Powell huddle under blankets themselves, trying vainly to warm up with endless mugs of tea.
—Will Tizard, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for huddle
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Verb
Late Friday night, a few dozen Toronto Blue Jays fans huddled outside Rogers Centre, listening to Sportsnet commentator Buck Martinez on the speakers.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
In the weeks that followed, Farber and his teammates huddled, brainstorming ways to support Ben.
—Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
The harder things are getting a play in the huddle, getting the operation right, getting us into the right play, handling the protection schemes, and then making accurate throws.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
As 39% of the United Kingdom populace struggles to heat their homes, Edelstyn and Powell huddle under blankets themselves, trying vainly to warm up with endless mugs of tea.
—Will Tizard, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for huddle
Cite this Entry
“Huddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/huddle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
huddle
2 of 2 noun1
: a close-packed group : bunch
2
b
: a brief gathering of football players away from the line of scrimmage to hear instructions for the next play
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