hunker (down)

as in to crouch
to lie low with the limbs close to the body had to hunker down so no one would see him behind the gate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunker (down)
Verb
  • Officers then discovered the man, who was identified as Gamboa, with a minor gunshot wound, crouched down among a small group of people.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • On Saturday, at an anti-Trump No Kings protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, a man reportedly appeared to be crouching behind a wall, while carrying what looked like an AR-15-style rifle.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Tense scenes played out in the chamber as voting came to a standstill, dragging on for hours as holdout senators huddled for negotiations.
    Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
  • Tense scenes played out in the chamber as voting came to a standstill, dragging for hours as holdout senators huddled for negotiations.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Hunker (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunker%20%28down%29. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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