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Stop Hunt
A deliberate push into a stop-loss cluster to trigger forced orders before the real move begins.
What it is
A stop hunt (or stop run) is the market mechanically seeking the liquidity that resting stop orders provide. It looks like a breakout, lasts seconds to minutes, and reverses once the orders are consumed. It isn't a conspiracy. It's how large size gets filled.
Why it matters
If your stop sits where everyone else's does, right below the obvious low, you ARE the liquidity. Structure-based stops with a buffer, or entries taken after the hunt, keep your stop out of that pool.
NQ example ILLUSTRATION
NQ grinds toward yesterday's low for an hour, spikes through it 9 points in 40 seconds, and instantly V-reverses. That is a textbook hunt of the stops parked under the level.