hunker down
phrasal verb
hunkered down; hunkering down; hunkers down
chiefly US
1
: to lower the body to the ground by bending the legs
The hikers hunkered down under a cliff until the storm passed.
2
: to stay in a place for a period of time
The leaders hunkered down at a country estate for difficult peace negotiations.
Examples of hunker down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Take time to hunker down and do some private healing or quiet closure.
—
Christina Pérez, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
And so both parties in control of Gaza seem to be hunkering down for the current yellow-line cease-fire to become semipermanent.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
The cast spent several hours that day hunkered down in the ballroom of the resort.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Learn any lessons, hunker down, and get this period firmly in your rear view mirror.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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Christina Pérez, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
And so both parties in control of Gaza seem to be hunkering down for the current yellow-line cease-fire to become semipermanent.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
The cast spent several hours that day hunkered down in the ballroom of the resort.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Learn any lessons, hunker down, and get this period firmly in your rear view mirror.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
Cite this Entry
“Hunker down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunker%20down. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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