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
Empty nesters, who might have preferred to downsize, hunkered down in their houses.
—
Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Business Boeing faces critical launch Monday ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station
May 4, 2024
Flushing or hunkering down after a blast are already signs of wildlife exhibiting signs of stress, said Duncan Leitch, a professor of integrative biology at UCLA.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
The movie starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke centers on a family hunkering down after a cyberattack and widespread power outage.
—Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2024
New bass will find the beds in the meantime, and then those fish will often hunker down near the beds and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 9 May 2024
Nate Smith is hunkered down in a Nashville studio working on his forthcoming second album — but the rising country-rocker can’t help but revisit his past.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Two Mediterranean-style homes sit on this generous plot in the San Fernando Valley, and David is hunkered down in the one closest to the street, which houses the couple’s production company, Yoruba Saxon, its name a nod to their respective cultural heritages.
—Jen Wang, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2024
But other residents have hunkered down, unable — or unwilling — to leave.
—Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
For the recording, the band hunkered down with their longtime engineer Steve Christensen’s studio in their hometown of Houston, Texas.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 5 Apr. 2024
Genevieve Redsten, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Business Boeing faces critical launch Monday ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station
May 4, 2024
Flushing or hunkering down after a blast are already signs of wildlife exhibiting signs of stress, said Duncan Leitch, a professor of integrative biology at UCLA.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
The movie starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke centers on a family hunkering down after a cyberattack and widespread power outage.
—Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2024
New bass will find the beds in the meantime, and then those fish will often hunker down near the beds and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 9 May 2024
Nate Smith is hunkered down in a Nashville studio working on his forthcoming second album — but the rising country-rocker can’t help but revisit his past.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Two Mediterranean-style homes sit on this generous plot in the San Fernando Valley, and David is hunkered down in the one closest to the street, which houses the couple’s production company, Yoruba Saxon, its name a nod to their respective cultural heritages.
—Jen Wang, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2024
But other residents have hunkered down, unable — or unwilling — to leave.
—Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
For the recording, the band hunkered down with their longtime engineer Steve Christensen’s studio in their hometown of Houston, Texas.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hunker down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share