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

In Texas, some people hunkered down in their homes and hid in closets during the storm earlier in the week. —Juan A. Lozano, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025

Mention must also be made of Tom Bennett, who is good value in a broad secondary role as a beleaguered acquaintance with whom the gang temporarily hunker down around a third of the way into proceedings. —Catherine Bray, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

And both the city and nature thrive throughout winter while many communities hunker down. —Graham Averill, Outside, 20 Nov. 2025

Light your candle of choice, get cozy under your favorite throw blanket, and hunker down, because as the weather gets worse, the streaming offerings get better. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for hunker down

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