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 cast spent several hours that day hunkered down in the ballroom of the resort.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Learn any lessons, hunker down, and get this period firmly in your rear view mirror.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Players and staff reloaded onto the team bus and trudged back into the city to hunker down at a hotel for the night.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Feb. 2026
Just last weekend, Georgians were forced to hunker down at home because of wintry weather.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Learn any lessons, hunker down, and get this period firmly in your rear view mirror.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Players and staff reloaded onto the team bus and trudged back into the city to hunker down at a hotel for the night.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Feb. 2026
Just last weekend, Georgians were forced to hunker down at home because of wintry weather.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 31 Jan. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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