hunker down

verb

1. 1

   hold stubbornly to a position

   The wife hunkered down and the husband's resistance began to break down

2. 2

   sit on one's heels

   In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting

   The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm

3. 3

   take shelter

   During the sandstorm, they hunkered down in a small hut