batten

The prime minister will be wanting to "get things sorted out, batten down the hatches and get things moving forward," Baroness Harman said.

Now TV’s top prizes must batten down the hatches for a major contraction.

Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, said "cautious consumers are battening down the hatches" so retailers should expect demand to be down in the first few months of 2024.

With Saturday expected to be stormy over most of the state, outdoor holiday parties have been canceled and outside decorations that aren’t battened down might just blow away.

"Investors are battening down the hatches and looking at how to make their portfolios more defensive," McMillan added.