hunkering (down)

present participle of hunker (down)
as in crouching
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 hunkering (down)
crouching
Verb
  • Behind him, fans spotted Charlotte, wearing a striped top and crouching down in the sand.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 23 July 2026
  • There was only one other person in sight, crouching at the water’s edge, a few hundred yards upstream—another mudlark.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
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

Cite this Entry

“Hunkering (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunkering%20%28down%29. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster