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
Be There For Someone Else Instead of hunkering down, shift your focus outward.
—
Dr. Rina Koshkina, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Mitch Marner was the hero in Game 2, scoring the go-ahead goal five minutes and fifty seconds into the third period, before Toronto's defense hunkered down for the final 14 minutes of action.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
The president spent the day hunkered down with his national security team in the White House Situation Room and threatened Iran on social media.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
Other passersby are seen in the video running for shelter and hunkering down by the side of the road.
—Sophie Clark
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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Dr. Rina Koshkina, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Mitch Marner was the hero in Game 2, scoring the go-ahead goal five minutes and fifty seconds into the third period, before Toronto's defense hunkered down for the final 14 minutes of action.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
The president spent the day hunkered down with his national security team in the White House Situation Room and threatened Iran on social media.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
Other passersby are seen in the video running for shelter and hunkering down by the side of the road.
—Sophie Clark
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
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 6 Jul. 2025.
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