hunker down

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hunker down (third-person singular simple present hunkers down, present participle hunkering down, simple past and past participle hunkered down)

1. (idiomatic) To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.

   That test is worth half your grade, so you'd better hunker down and start studying.

   • 2016 June 29, Meghan Leahy, “A tween’s mood swings and tantrums are driving Mom crazy”, in Washington Post‎:

     Imagine that you are in a storm; you would not shake your fists at the clouds and the rain and yell, “Stop it, stop it NOW! This is unacceptable.” You would hunker down for safety and wait until it passes.

   • 2020 March 3, "Tornado Safety" on WHAS:

     If you are on a higher level and can't get to a lower apartment, hunker down in the breezeway of the apartment building

   • 2020 April 30, Sophie Sills, “No One to Hunker Down With”, in New York Times‎:

     If you didn’t secure a partner before coronavirus hit, you’re staring down weeks without snuggles or kisses “until further notice,” as the shuttered eateries and storefronts ominously posted.¶ “I have no one to hunker down with,” I texted my mom.

   • 2021 May 5, Sabrina Tavernise, “The U.S. Birthrate Has Dropped Again. The Pandemic May Be Accelerating the Decline.”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Early in the pandemic, there was speculation that the major changes in the life of American families could lead to a recovery in the birthrate, as couples hunkered down together.

   • 2022 April 5, Elizabeth Wetmore, “How Far Will Parents Go to Protect Their Sons?”, in The New York Times‎:

     Whitney, mother of Xavier, is a real estate titan who, along with her British husband, has found her niche selling luxurious underground bunkers to wealthy clients looking for a safe space to hunker down in the event of a climate apocalypse.

2. (idiomatic) To stubbornly hold to a position.

• buckle down
• bunker down
• knuckle down