Meaning & use
huddle
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To crowd close together in a small group, usually for warmth, safety, or privacy.
Grammar: No object; often followed by together, around, or in/under something.
Patterns
- huddle together
- huddle around something
- huddle under something
- huddle in something
The children huddled together under the umbrella.
We huddled around the small fire to keep warm.
The team huddled in the corner to discuss the plan.
verbintransitive
To sit or curl up with the arms and legs pulled in close to the body.
Grammar: No object; often used with up or into.
Patterns
- huddle up
- huddle into something
She huddled up on the sofa with a blanket.
He huddled into his coat against the wind.
nouncountable
A small group of people gathered closely together.
Grammar: Countable: a huddle, two huddles.
Patterns
- a huddle of people
- in a huddle
A huddle of fans waited outside the stadium.
They stood in a huddle, whispering.
nouncountable
A short, informal meeting to talk or plan, especially in sports.
Grammar: Countable; often used in sports contexts.
Patterns
- a huddle
- in a huddle
The players formed a huddle before the next play.
The team had a quick huddle to decide the next move.
Word forms
| third person singular | huddles |
|---|---|
| past tense | huddled |
| past participle | huddled |
| -ing form | huddling |
| plural | huddles |
Common combinations
- huddle together
- The penguins huddled together to stay warm.
- huddle around
- The students huddled around the laptop to watch the video.
- huddle under
- We huddled under a tree during the rain.
- huddle up
- She huddled up in bed with a book.
- in a huddle
- The teammates stood in a huddle, discussing the next play.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crowd
- Crowd suggests many people in a busy, often disorganized group; huddle suggests a smaller, closer group for a purpose like warmth or planning.
- cluster
- Cluster means a group of things or people close together, often without the idea of seeking warmth or protection that huddle has.
- gather
- Gather is a general verb for coming together; huddle is more specific and implies being very close, often physically.
Opposites
Word family
- huddled adjective
- Describes people or things that are crowded closely together, e.g., huddled figures.
Commonly confused: huddle or cuddle? huddle or hurdle?
huddle vs cuddle
Cuddle means to hold someone lovingly and closely, often with affection; huddle is about a group crowding together for warmth or safety, not necessarily with affection.
huddle vs hurdle
Hurdle is a barrier to jump over or a problem to overcome; huddle is about gathering closely. They sound somewhat similar but have very different meanings.
Practice
The campers ______ together in the tent to keep warm.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'huddled' fits because the action happened in the past. 'Huddling' would need a helping verb (were huddling), 'huddles' is present tense for a singular subject, and 'huddle' is the base form, which doesn't agree with the past-time context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “huddle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.