huddle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to gather or crowd together in a close mass.
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to crouch, curl up, or draw oneself together.
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Football. to get together in a huddle.
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to confer or consult; meet to discuss, exchange ideas, or make a decision.
verb (used with object)
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to heap or crowd together closely.
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to draw (oneself ) closely together, as in crouching; nestle (often followed byup ).
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Chiefly British. to do hastily and carelessly (often followed by up, over, ortogether ).
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to put on (clothes) with careless haste (often followed byon ).
noun
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a closely gathered group, mass, or heap; bunch.
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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.
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a conference, or consultation, especially a private meeting to discuss serious matters.
The labor representatives have been in a huddle for two hours.
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confusion or disorder.
noun
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a heaped or crowded mass of people or things
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informal a private or impromptu conference (esp in the phrase go into a huddle )
verb
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to crowd or cause to crowd or nestle closely together
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(often foll by up) to draw or hunch (oneself), as through cold
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informal (intr) to meet and confer privately
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(tr) to do (something) in a careless way
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rare (tr) to put on (clothes) hurriedly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has huddledperfect 3rd person singular
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have huddledperfect
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huddlingparticiple
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is huddlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been huddlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am huddlingprogressive 1st person singular
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huddlessingular 3rd person
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have been huddlingperfect progressive
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are huddlingprogressive
Past
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had huddledperfect
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was huddlingprogressive singular
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huddledsimple
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huddledparticiple
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were huddlingprogressive plural
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had been huddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of huddle
1570–80; hud- (weak grade of root found in hide 1 ) + -le; replacing Middle English hoder, equivalent to hod- (variant hud- ) + -er -er 6
Explanation
In a football game, a huddle is a quick conference before a play. Huddle can also be a dense and disorganized crowd, like a group of people standing under an awning waiting for the rain to pass. As a verb huddle means to draw people together or to crouch low or curl up. The word comes from the late 16th century, when it meant “to conceal.” That makes sense. When a burglar comes into your home, you might huddle in the closet so he'll leave without harming you. When your mom comes to see if you’re sleeping, you might huddle under your blankets with your flashlight so she won’t know you’re still up reading.
Vocabulary lists containing huddle
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
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Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
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Comfy Cozy Lingo
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the Hidden Valley headquarters in Oakland, Calif., members of the ranch team often huddle around a pizza-shaped couch, surrounded by ranch poster-covered walls, a ranch piñata and giant cutouts of bottles.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
In a huddle with teammates, Croddick preached patience.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
But when the NBA braintrust breaks a huddle, it’s, “3-2-1, overreact!”
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
The Argentine has had a big impact this season, and has introduced a motivational huddle for defenders before each game.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Megan and her little clique huddle together, as far away from me as possible.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
