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hunker down
[ huhng-ker doun ]
verb phrase
- to crouch or squat on one’s heels:
Some of the taller kids have trouble with the exercises that involve a lot of hunkering down.
- to hide, hide out, or take shelter, often for just a few hours or less, as from a pursuer or a storm:
Runaways hunkered down in all sorts of places along the Underground Railroad.
Rain pelted our boat through the night, but we were able to hunker down in a small harbor until daybreak.
- to settle in to the safety of one’s home or other designated shelter for a potentially prolonged time, as would be necessitated by a natural disaster or an outbreak of a contagious disease:
Before hunkering down, we made sure we had enough food, water, batteries, and first-aid supplies to last at least three weeks.
Make a plan, and prepare to hunker down.
- to hold resolutely or stubbornly to a policy, opinion, etc., when confronted by criticism, opposition, or unfavorable circumstances:
Rather than moving toward compromise, both sides continue to hunker down.
He hunkered down and refused to admit his guilt.
- to give one’s full and earnest attention to a project, assignment, or other obligation:
No partying for me this weekend—I’ve got to hunker down and finish this term paper.
˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of hunker down1
Example Sentences
As residents hunker down, social media users are finding humour in their shelved weekend plans.
Instead, they may hunker down for an arid summer and then — if rain is sufficient — bloom in the spring of 2026, Becker said.
Monuments typically limit camping to particular areas, he said as an example, while some people want to be able to hunker down far from other people.
While keen surfers have been taking advantage of the wind and waves, most residents are hunkering down indoors.
Except sometimes it took a while to hunker down at night.
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