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

Some residents Evans encountered were hunkered down in their homes or using tents, tarps, buses and cars as their shelter. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

But on a fourth-and-1 from the Stephenson 36-yard line, the Jaguars defense hunkered down and forced a turnover on downs. — Mcclain Baxley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 23 Aug. 2026

The 2005 Rolling Stones album A Bigger Bang was recorded on the premises, where Jagger also hunkered down during the COVID pandemic. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 13 Aug. 2026

That’s bundled with a three-chamber air suspension that helps the Gravity hunker down at high speeds. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for hunker down

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