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
By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.
—
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024
Still, her family was hunkering down and staying put.
—Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024
While Lebanese civilians fled their homes to escape Israeli incursions early Tuesday, Israelis hunkered down in bomb shelters across the nation as air raid sirens signaled the Iranian missile barrage.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
The official advised residents to shelter in place and hunker down.
—NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hunker down 
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Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024
Still, her family was hunkering down and staying put.
—Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024
While Lebanese civilians fled their homes to escape Israeli incursions early Tuesday, Israelis hunkered down in bomb shelters across the nation as air raid sirens signaled the Iranian missile barrage.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
The official advised residents to shelter in place and hunker down.
—NBC News, 10 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 21 Nov. 2024.
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