huddle

huddle — noun

1. a small, tight cluster of people or objects positioned very near to one another

1.nounB1
Definition

a small, tight cluster of people or objects positioned very near to one another

Example

A small huddle of students gathered around the notice board.

collocation: a huddle of [people]

The sheep stood in a tight huddle against the cold wind.

collocation: tight huddle

Common collocations
  • a huddle of people
  • a huddle of chairs
  • in a huddle
  • tight huddle
Synonyms
  • cluster

    suggests a less tight, more spread-out grouping than huddle

  • crowd

    implies a larger, less orderly gathering, often in motion

  • bunch

    more informal, used for both people and objects

Antonyms
  • scattering

    people or objects spread far apart from each other

Grammar Patterns

a huddle of + noun

Usage Note

Often used with 'a huddle of' to describe the things or people in the group. Singular is more common than the plural form.

Common Mistakes

There was a huddle bird on the tree.
The birds formed a huddle on the tree.
'Huddle' as a noun refers to a group, not a single object or person.

2. a private and often brief conversation or discussion among a small group of peop

2.nounB2
Definition

a private and often brief conversation or discussion among a small group of people, usually held away from others

Example

The managers went into a quick huddle to discuss the budget cuts.

collocation: go into a huddle

After class, the three friends had a huddle about the surprise test.

Common collocations
  • go into a huddle
  • call a huddle
  • have a huddle
  • in a huddle
Synonyms
  • conference

    more formal and often longer than a huddle

  • consultation

    suggests seeking advice, more serious in tone

  • powwow

    informal, sometimes humorous; may be considered outdated or culturally insensitive

Grammar Patterns

go into a huddle

call a huddle

Usage Note

Common in workplace and school settings. 'Go into a huddle' implies temporarily stepping aside from a larger activity.

3. in sports such as American football and basketball, a short gathering of team me

3.nounB2
Definition

in sports such as American football and basketball, a short gathering of team members where the next play or strategy is decided before they separate

Example

The quarterback called a huddle before the final play of the game.

sports term: call a huddle

The team broke from their huddle and ran to their positions on the field.

sports term: break the huddle

Common collocations
  • call a huddle
  • break the huddle
  • in the huddle
  • team huddle
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

call a huddle

break the huddle

Usage Note

Most strongly associated with American football, but used in other team sports such as basketball and volleyball. 'Break the huddle' means to end the gathering and move to playing positions.

Common Mistakes

The player called a huddle during the tennis match.
The team called a huddle before the football play.
'Huddle' is used for team sports where players confer, not for individual sports like tennis.

huddle — verb

Word family

  • huddled
    adjectiveB2
  • huddling
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe people coming near each other, but 'huddle' carries a stronger sense of warmth, protection, or shared purpose. 'Crowd together' suggests tighter, less organized proximity, often in a small space. 'Cluster' implies a looser grouping — people may stand near each other without touching or sharing a goal. 'Gather' is the most neutral and general; people can gather for any reason at all. 'Congregate' is more formal and suggests a public space or a designated purpose. For example, during a cold outdoor ceremony, guests huddle for warmth, while after the event they might cluster near the exit waiting for cars. On a normal morning, colleagues gather in the office kitchen; at a city protest, demonstrators congregate in the main square.

crowd togethercluster ↗gather ↗congregate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a huddle
  • huddle up
  • huddle down

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'huddle' first appeared in English around the late 1500s. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may come from a Middle English word related to 'hide' or from a Low German word 'hudeln' meaning 'to cover or wrap'. The idea of covering or protecting yourself from the weather fits very naturally with the verb senses of curling up or crowding together. The sports meaning — a team gathering to plan the next play — developed in American football in the early 1900s and later spread to other team sports and, as a metaphor, to any private group discussion.