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
The president spent the day hunkered down with his national security team in the White House Situation Room and threatened Iran on social media.
—
Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
Other passersby are seen in the video running for shelter and hunkering down by the side of the road.
—Sophie Clark
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
But a city-wide blackout canceled the game, leaving the Barksdale family hunkered down in the hotel lobby — the same lobby occupied by mingling WNBA greats of the early aughts such as Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 28 May 2025
The under the radar couple were finally spotted dining out in South Florida, where the NFL star is hunkering down in the off season.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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.
Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
Other passersby are seen in the video running for shelter and hunkering down by the side of the road.
—Sophie Clark
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
But a city-wide blackout canceled the game, leaving the Barksdale family hunkered down in the hotel lobby — the same lobby occupied by mingling WNBA greats of the early aughts such as Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 28 May 2025
The under the radar couple were finally spotted dining out in South Florida, where the NFL star is hunkering down in the off season.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
Cite this Entry
“Hunker down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunker%20down. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share