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
Republicans hunkered down at the Capitol through the night for one last committee hearing processing changes to the package.
—
Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
There, the family hunkers down, their days occupied with the grueling task of picking cherries in the absence of their usual workers.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Speaking of Eugene, the 7-Eleven where Ellie and Jesse hunker down is where Eugene grew his marijuana.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
They were locked down at home together in 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumford and Mulligan had to navigate their busy work schedules while hunkered down at home.
—Sydney Wingfield, People.com, 21 Apr. 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.
Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
There, the family hunkers down, their days occupied with the grueling task of picking cherries in the absence of their usual workers.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Speaking of Eugene, the 7-Eleven where Ellie and Jesse hunker down is where Eugene grew his marijuana.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
They were locked down at home together in 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumford and Mulligan had to navigate their busy work schedules while hunkered down at home.
—Sydney Wingfield, People.com, 21 Apr. 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 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share