hunkered (down)

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)
Verb
  • Finally, the day arrived, and my friend Kelly Curtis and then-girlfriend Nancy Wilson were crouched behind the camera with Amy.
    Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Right then, crouched on the floor of MacDowell’s Cheney studio, Luise discovered a whole new way of working.
    Grace Edquist, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Late Friday night, a few dozen Toronto Blue Jays fans huddled outside Rogers Centre, listening to Sportsnet commentator Buck Martinez on the speakers.
    Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • In the weeks that followed, Farber and his teammates huddled, brainstorming ways to support Ben.
    Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 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

“Hunkered (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunkered%20%28down%29. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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