hunker down
phrasal verb
hunkered down; hunkering down; hunkers down
chiefly US
1
: to lower the body to the ground by bending the legs
The hikers hunkered down under a cliff until the storm passed.
2
: 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
Rather than engaging, his advice to his members is to hunker down.
—
David Gilbert, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Milton forces first responders to hunker down High speed winds blowing off Hurricane Milton and whipping into tornadoes are keeping first responders along Florida’s Gulf Coast off the roads and unable to attempt any rescues, authorities said.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024
Joe and her team pulled to a stop in the middle of a main drag, then hunkered down inside the Suburban and behind its doors to pick off adversaries.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Oct. 2024
Family-friendly Offerings While a day at a Disney park could seem like the most family-friendly option, hunkering down at the property will also provide plenty of things to do with families of all ages.
—Christine Burroni, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hunker down 
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David Gilbert, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Milton forces first responders to hunker down High speed winds blowing off Hurricane Milton and whipping into tornadoes are keeping first responders along Florida’s Gulf Coast off the roads and unable to attempt any rescues, authorities said.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024
Joe and her team pulled to a stop in the middle of a main drag, then hunkered down inside the Suburban and behind its doors to pick off adversaries.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Oct. 2024
Family-friendly Offerings While a day at a Disney park could seem like the most family-friendly option, hunkering down at the property will also provide plenty of things to do with families of all ages.
—Christine Burroni, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hunker down
Dictionary Entries Near hunker down
Cite this Entry
“Hunker down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunker%20down. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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