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

Don’t hunker down and hide from the elements in a place people won’t see you. —Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025

Following a day out of energetic exploring and a hearty local dinner, guests can then hunker down in their cabins or the Northern Lights Lounge and wait for the light show to begin. —Laurie Werner, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

But the Terps hunkered down and outscored USC, 23-12, the rest of the way to cement the win. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2025

Julia Gomez Dinah Voyles Pulver USA TODAY Portions of Eastern states are facing heavy rain and flooding this weekend, and officials are asking people to hunker down as storms sweep through the area. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for hunker down

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown