hunkered (down)

verb

past tense of hunker (down)
as in crouched
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 hunkered (down)
  1. crouched
  2. huddled
Verb
  • After his rep against defensive end Odafe Oweh, Tunsil grabbed his left arm and crouched in obvious pain.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Those inside the room crouched down on the floor in the darkness, waiting for help for 30 minutes.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of crouched
Verb
  • During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The large overhead screens were used mainly to highlight Young and, to a much smaller extent, Johnson — rarely even showing the other three musicians (who were huddled way in the back of the stage).
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of huddled
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hunker (down)
hunkered (down)
hunkering (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Hunkered (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunkered%20%28down%29. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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