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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunkered (down)

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.

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hunkered (down)

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“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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Synonyms of hunkered (down)

verb

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