Thesaurus results for HUNKERED (DOWN)

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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunkered (down)

Verb

Every few feet, the cats stopped and sat on their hindquarters, or crouched down out of sight.

— Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
After getting broken to fall behind 2-4 in the third, Djokovic attempted to knock a ball back to the ball boy, who was crouched beside the umpire’s chair.

— Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of crouched

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)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hunkered (down)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kludge

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes