hunker down
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
As the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Tajikistan in the 1990s, Gilmore hunkered down in his office for three days as a militia advanced on the capital city of Dushanbe.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The tornado ripped the roof off an auto shop as workers hunkered down inside.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 10 June 2026
As the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Tajikistan in the 1990s, Gilmore hunkered down in his office for three days as a militia advanced on the capital city of Dushanbe.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
The Kansas City area hunkered down for possible hail, heavy downpours and tornadoes as the National Weather Service issued severe weather warnings Wednesday afternoon.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hunker down
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Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The tornado ripped the roof off an auto shop as workers hunkered down inside.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 10 June 2026
As the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Tajikistan in the 1990s, Gilmore hunkered down in his office for three days as a militia advanced on the capital city of Dushanbe.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
The Kansas City area hunkered down for possible hail, heavy downpours and tornadoes as the National Weather Service issued severe weather warnings Wednesday afternoon.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 June 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 16 Jun. 2026.
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