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
This can be seen in the Telegram channels and fringe platforms like Gab and Truth Social, where QAnon influencers hunkered down in the wake of the mass purge of QAnon accounts on mainstream platforms in 2021 following the attack on the Capitol.
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David Gilbert, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2024
Wildlife may use a chimney to hunker down and avoid cold air and wind during the winter, and some species may even use them as dens while giving birth, according to home solutions company HY-C. Capping a chimney can also prevent leaves, snow and other debris from falling down the shaft.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
In the case of a global dust storm, that could mean hunkering down for quite some time.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
When the band wasn’t touring, Eddie hunkered down in his home studio for weeks at time, drinking heavily and smoking cigarettes incessantly — overwhelmed, Alex writes, by the burden of being called the greatest guitarist on the planet.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
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David Gilbert, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2024
Wildlife may use a chimney to hunker down and avoid cold air and wind during the winter, and some species may even use them as dens while giving birth, according to home solutions company HY-C. Capping a chimney can also prevent leaves, snow and other debris from falling down the shaft.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
In the case of a global dust storm, that could mean hunkering down for quite some time.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
When the band wasn’t touring, Eddie hunkered down in his home studio for weeks at time, drinking heavily and smoking cigarettes incessantly — overwhelmed, Alex writes, by the burden of being called the greatest guitarist on the planet.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hunker down
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 2 Jan. 2025.
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