huddle

[ huhd-l ]

/ ˈhʌd l /

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See synonyms for: huddle / huddled on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), hud·dled, hud·dling.

to gather or crowd together in a close mass.

to crouch, curl up, or draw oneself together.

Football. to get together in a huddle.

to confer or consult; meet to discuss, exchange ideas, or make a decision.

verb (used with object), hud·dled, hud·dling.

to heap or crowd together closely.

to draw (oneself) closely together, as in crouching; nestle (often followed by up).

Chiefly British. to do hastily and carelessly (often followed by up, over, or together).

to put on (clothes) with careless haste (often followed by on).

noun

a closely gathered group, mass, or heap; bunch.

Football. a gathering of the offensive team in a close circle or line behind the line of scrimmage for instructions, signals, etc., from the team captain or quarterback, usually held before each offensive play.

a conference, or consultation, especially a private meeting to discuss serious matters: The labor representatives have been in a huddle for two hours.

confusion or disorder.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of huddle

1570–80; hud- (weak grade of root found in hide¹) + -le; replacing Middle English hoder, equivalent to hod- (variant hud-) + -er-er⁶

OTHER WORDS FROM huddle

huddler, nounhud·dling·ly, adverbun·hud·dle, verb (used with object), un·hud·dled, un·hud·dling.

Words nearby huddle

hucklebone, huckster, hucksterer, HUD, Huddersfield, huddle, Huddleston, Hudibrastic, hudna, Hudson, Hudson Bay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use huddle in a sentence

Each space can vary in purpose, from a front-desk mock-up to a beach hangout or a design huddle.
Nooks set to seed its own in the world of virtual HQs|Natasha Mascarenhas|July 14, 2021|TechCrunch
Lantz recommends a “short and sweet huddle” each morning between employees and their direct reports, which ensures not only that work priorities are communicated, but also that employees feel a part of a community.
The Big Quit: Employee burnout and a robust job market have workers eyeing greener pastures|Jessica Davies|June 14, 2021|Digiday
He is the king of breaking plays, of drawing up game-winners in the huddle, of making Hail Marys seem like certainties and using his imagination to make up for any of his team’s shortcomings.
For Aaron Rodgers and a new breed of superstar, a dream job is no longer good enough|Jerry Brewer|May 5, 2021|Washington Post
We pause by the door, gather in a little triangle huddle and give each other a torrent of kisses.
My Pandemic Baby Is Pulling Us Out of Our Cozy Cave. But How Will the World See a Disabled Mother Like Me?|Rebekah Taussig|April 28, 2021|Time

At LSU, Matt was a Dance Cam regular and often joined the pregame huddle.
The big lessons Andrew Stevenson learned from his little brother|Jesse Dougherty|March 12, 2021|Washington Post
I like to imagine you in Friday Night Lights in the huddle doling out orders to everybody.
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The House Armed Services Committee members are scheduled to huddle Tuesday for a classified briefing on Iraq.
Top Republican: 'Disaster' If Obama Loses ISIS Vote, So Don't Go to Congress|Tim Mak|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On a green field below the sloping campus, teams huddle and plot strategy as group leaders and refs get the games into place.
A Camp Away From Terror: Where Israeli and Palestinian Kids Find Common Ground|Nina Strochlic|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tornado sirens would go and then my parents would huddle us all in our storm shelter in the middle of the house.
The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on the Devastating Oklahoma Tornado|Wayne Coyne|May 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On freezing days, there was no need to huddle outside the office for four minutes to suck down my dose.
My (Electronic) Cigarette Addiction|Eli Lake|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Gila Bend had exasperated him because it was not the town it called itself, but a huddle of adobe huts.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
They huddle together side by side and on top of one another, and look like a pile of plump sausages.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
For the guidance of these energetic folk of ink and types, I will unfold a further huddle of details.
The Onlooker, Volume 1, Part 2|Various
Alongside one of the buildings I came upon her sitting in a huddle of her most treasured possessions.
The Glory of The Coming|Irvin S. Cobb
Others came riding in, saw the huddle before the mess-tent and came up to investigate.
The Happy Family|Bertha Muzzy Bower

British Dictionary definitions for huddle

huddle

/ (ˈhʌdəl) /

noun

a heaped or crowded mass of people or things

informal a private or impromptu conference (esp in the phrase go into a huddle)

verb

to crowd or cause to crowd or nestle closely together

(often foll by up) to draw or hunch (oneself), as through cold

(intr) informal to meet and confer privately

(tr) mainly British to do (something) in a careless way

(tr) rare to put on (clothes) hurriedly

Derived forms of huddle

huddler, noun

Word Origin for huddle

C16: of uncertain origin; compare Middle English hoderen to wrap up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with huddle

huddle

see go into a huddle.

huddle

Origin of huddle

OTHER WORDS FROM huddle

Words nearby huddle

Words related to huddle

How to use huddle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for huddle

Derived forms of huddle

Word Origin for huddle

Other Idioms and Phrases with huddle