hunker down

phrasal verb

hunkered down; hunkering down; hunkers down

chiefly US

: to lower the body to the ground by bending the legs

The hikers hunkered down under a cliff until the storm passed.

: to stay in a place for a period of time

The leaders hunkered down at a country estate for difficult peace negotiations.

Examples of hunker down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

The official advised residents to shelter in place and hunker down. —

NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024 For millions of Floridians still recovering from Helene, the storm's impending arrival comes with orders to flee or hunker down. —

Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2024 Behind the scenes: Netanyahu hunkered down for hours on Tuesday night with senior ministers and the heads of Israel's military and intelligence services to try to reach a decision about the scope and timing of Israel's attacks, according to two Israeli officials. —

Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Oct. 2024 My family and others in the neighborhood didn't hunker down. —

Chuck Mattera, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hunker down