huddle

1 of 2

verb

hud·​dle ˈhə-dᵊl How to pronounce huddle (audio)
huddled; huddling ˈhəd-liŋ How to pronounce huddle (audio)
ˈhə-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
British : to arrange carelessly or hurriedly
the solemnities had to be huddled through at express speedManchester Examiner
2
a
: to crowd together
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free …Emma Lazarus
b
: to draw (oneself) together : crouch
People were huddled around their radios.
3
: to wrap oneself closely in
huddled her coat around her

intransitive verb

1
a
: to gather in a close-packed group
They huddled around the campfire.
b
: to curl up : crouch
Students huddled over their desks.
2
a
: to hold a consultation
huddled to discuss the proposal
b
football : to gather away from the line of scrimmage to receive instructions (as from the quarterback) for the next down (see down entry 5 sense 3b) : to gather in a huddle (see huddle entry 2 sense 2b)
huddler
ˈhəd-lər How to pronounce huddle (audio)
ˈhə-dᵊl-ər
noun

huddle

2 of 2

noun

1
: a close-packed group : bunch
huddles of children
a huddle of cottages
2
a
: meeting, conference
The boss is in a huddle with the marketing director.
b
football : a brief gathering of players away from the line of scrimmage to receive instructions (as from the quarterback) for the next down (see down entry 5 sense 3b)

Examples of huddle in a Sentence

Verb We huddled around the campfire. The sheep huddled together for warmth. The students huddled over their desks. Union representatives are huddling to discuss the proposal. Noun sheep standing in a huddle The boss is in a huddle with the marketing director. The quarterback called the offense into a huddle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
For a half hour, a family huddled inside; then young men from the village arrived and threw rocks at the Israelis. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 5 Mar. 2024 Groups huddled around computer screens, putting basic information into TaxSlayer, a software program. Ron Lieber, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 At the northern tip of Wyoming, practically huddled up against the border of Montana, travelers will find the underrated 20,000-person city of Sheridan. Molly O’Brien, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 For now, makeshift markets huddle next to gleaming gyms and car showrooms, while wandering pi-dogs and kamikaze auto-rickshaws slow the traffic to a lurching stop-start crawl. Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024 After the hearing, Malcolm’s friends, ranging in age from 13 to 16, huddle outside the courthouse. Gabe Cohen, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 The famous and their fans huddled, barricaded in rooms and trying to comfort children separated from their parents. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 On a recent Monday night in Sacramento, a group dressed in sneakers and reflective gear huddled into a circle at a corner of McKinley Park. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 22 Feb. 2024 Around noon on Saturday, a few dozen Dallas Stars fans bundled in parkas and victory green jerseys huddled together on the Trinity Railway Express platform in Richland Hills. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Chewing on his mouthguard … thumping his fist on his chest ... waving his arms to rile up the crowd ... jawing with opposing players … gesturing to fans … arguing with officials … high stepping, arms flailing, into huddles. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 When his team broke their huddle, star wing Kawhi Leonard was out of the game, taking a seat next to the team’s assistant coaches. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2024 Joe Flacco's journey from his couch to the Cleveland Browns' huddle led to one of the most prolific months ever for a quarterback. Josh Dubow, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 Purdy has done impressions of teammates and coaches for years and said he’s even done it in the huddle a time or two. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 The players then gathered in a huddle before and after the moment of silence. Julia Thomas, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2024 Stanford has elite receivers and one of the best backs in football in his huddle. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 14 Jan. 2024 When each offense broke the huddle, the down and distance would flash in yellow block font. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Opie’s subject is the media infrastructure quickly erected in downtown Los Angeles — specifically the cumbersome huddle of satellite dishes packed into the empty lot next door to the federal courthouse, all pointed heavenward to a clear azure sky. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'huddle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from or akin to Middle English hoderen to huddle

First Known Use

Verb

1579, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of huddle was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near huddle

Cite this Entry

“Huddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/huddle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

huddle

1 of 2 verb
hud·​dle ˈhəd-ᵊl How to pronounce huddle (audio)
huddled; huddling ˈhəd-liŋ How to pronounce huddle (audio)
ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to crowd, push, or pile together
people huddled in a doorway
2
: to gather in a huddle in football
3
: curl up, crouch
a child huddled in its crib
huddler
ˈhəd-lər How to pronounce huddle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

huddle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a close-packed group : bunch
2
b
: a brief gathering of football players away from the line of scrimmage to hear instructions for the next play

More from Merriam-Webster on huddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!