hunker
verb
hun·ker
| \ ˈhəŋ-kər
\
\
hunkered;
hunkering\ ˈhəŋ-k(ə-)riŋ
\
\
Definition of hunker
2
: to settle in or dig in for a sustained period
—used with down hunker down for a good long wait — New Yorker
Examples of hunker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schools are closed and coastal residents are largely hunkering down, waiting for Dorian to pass and eventually, if forecasters are correct, run out of steam somewhere in the North Atlantic. — Washington Post, "Hurricane Dorian leaves terrible destruction in Bahamas as it rolls toward U.S.," 3 Sep. 2019 And in Hyde Park, an Abaconian named Dana hunkered down with her cousins and imagined her parents and five siblings riding out the storm from their home in Marsh Harbour. — Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, "Dorian’s blow to the Bahamas reverberates in the lives of three Mass. residents," 3 Sep. 2019 Hundreds of people hunkered down in schools, churches and other shelters as officials recognized there were not many structures on higher ground on the largely flat archipelago just southeast of Florida. — Author: Ramón Espinosa, Anchorage Daily News, "Dorian closes in on Bahamas as dangerous Category 5 storm," 1 Sep. 2019 Residents hunkered down in schools, churches and other emergency shelters, but there was concern that some would try to brave the storm in their homes. — New York Times, "Hurricane Dorian Batters Bahamas as ‘Catastrophic’ Storm," 1 Sep. 2019 Outside, meanwhile, officers hunkered down behind cars while others tried to keep residents and circling news helicopters at bay. — Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY, "'Nothing short of a miracle': Dramatic standoff with Philadelphia gunman ends with no loss of life," 15 Aug. 2019 Book also hunkered down in the film room with quarterbacks coach Tom Rees and offensive coordinator Chip Long and threw thousands of passes on the practice field to a youthful receiving corps that no longer includes security blanket Miles Boykin. — Mike Berardino, Indianapolis Star, "Weekend with the Mannings could push Notre Dame's Ian Book to the next level," 6 Aug. 2019 Until the week is over, hunker down — the heat is on its way. — Nicole Blackwood, baltimoresun.com, "5 things you should know about heat exhaustion," 19 July 2019 This Sunday, the three hunkered down in his MacArthur Park apartment. — latimes.com, "Threatened ICE raids create more political noise than police action," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hunker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for hunker
hunker
verb
English Language Learners Definition of hunker
chiefly US
: to lower your body to the ground by bending your legs
See the full definition for hunker in the English Language Learners Dictionary
hunker
verb
hun·ker
| \ ˈhəŋ-kər
\
\
hunkered;
hunkering
Kids Definition of hunker
: crouch entry 1
She hunkered in the tall grass.
hunker down
: to settle in for a long time
He hunkered down for the winter.