hunkered (down)

verb

past tense of hunker (down)
as in crouched
to lie low with the limbs close to the body had to hunker down so no one would see him behind the gate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunkered (down)
  1. crouched
  2. huddled
Verb
  • State police said the preliminary investigation by its homicide unit indicated that Moorhead had been crouched close to the ground in an open field, hunting, when Soto passed by with a man and two children.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The left-handed batter took a 2-2 fastball just below the knees, crouched and shook his head.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of crouched
Verb
  • Photos shared on social media showed dozens of construction workers huddled together.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The hockey star stayed down on the ice for a few moments as teammates huddled around him, and Faber eventually stood up and skated off the ice on his own.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of huddled
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hunker (down)
hunkered (down)
hunkering (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Hunkered (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunkered%20%28down%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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