Synonyms

batten down the hatches

Idioms

Prepare for trouble, as in Here comes the boss—batten down the hatches. This term originated in the navy, where it signified preparing for a storm by fastening down canvas over doorways and hatches (openings) with strips of wood called battens. [Late 1800s]

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.

If the world’s most valuable company disappoints the market, investors really will need to batten down the hatches.

From Barron's

“Batten down the hatches! Battle of Britain! RAF on offensive!”

From Literature

Stay safe this weekend and batten down the hatches.

From MarketWatch

As Scotland prepares to welcome in 2026, some residents will be getting ready to batten down the hatches, with a yellow snow and ice warning in force for much of the country.

From BBC

Banks have looked to batten down the hatches in response.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023