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

Belton experiences As sirens wailed the night of the tornado, Bill Anderson hunkered down in his basement a mile and a half away from the cemetery, Anderson told The Star by text. —Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026

Guests hunker down for board games and orchard martinis in the three-suite farmhouse, which can be rented out in full on occasion. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

In the weeks after her mother’s disappearance, Guthrie hunkered down with her siblings in Arizona while awaiting updates from investigators. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026

Certainly, high winds, blinding rain and lightning are reasons for all ages to hunker down. —Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 22 Mar. 2026

Rhymes for hunker down

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