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

But Boise hunkered down, and goalkeeper Jonathan Kliewer turned aside three shots to preserve the shutout. — Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026

With Miller’s death and the breakup from Davidson happening in quick succession, Grande famously hunkered down in the studio and turned to music to process her feelings, re-emerging with her Billboard 200-topping album Thank U, Next. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

As Cornell hunkers down, Emma Goldberg, who covers New York, is on campus. — New York Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Hundreds of people in the region evacuated, hunkering down in nearby shelters in schools and other facilities. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for hunker down

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