hunker down

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

With Miller’s death and the breakup from Davidson happening in quick succession, Grande famously hunkered down in the studio and turned to music to process her feelings, re-emerging with her Billboard 200-topping album Thank U, Next. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

Hundreds of people in the region evacuated, hunkering down in nearby shelters in schools and other facilities. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Andrea Gill was out for her regular swim before heading back home to hunker down with family. — Eugene Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

The inviting throw is ideal for curling up under while binging Halloween movies or hunkering down on football Sundays, and adds a fun fall feel to your space that can easily transition into winter decorating. — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for hunker down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown