1
: a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of activity
Synonyms
Examples of hotbed in a Sentence
a hotbed of political unrest
prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British
Recent Examples on the Web
Though many are quick to defend Trump’s moves and agree Washington is a hotbed of waste, the attack on this agency has caused even some of his supporters to pause.
—
Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Located about 1,300 light-years from Earth, these young stars, also known as protostars, reside in a hotbed for star formation: the Orion Nebula, which is the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth and is home to hundreds of newborn stars.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Normally, Davos is a hotbed of planners and self-congratulatory humanitarians who dream up utopian schemes that then can be imposed from the top down by governments.
—John Fund, National Review, 4 Feb. 2025
However, the event can also become a hotbed of controversy and scrutiny.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hotbed 
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Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Located about 1,300 light-years from Earth, these young stars, also known as protostars, reside in a hotbed for star formation: the Orion Nebula, which is the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth and is home to hundreds of newborn stars.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Normally, Davos is a hotbed of planners and self-congratulatory humanitarians who dream up utopian schemes that then can be imposed from the top down by governments.
—John Fund, National Review, 4 Feb. 2025
However, the event can also become a hotbed of controversy and scrutiny.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hotbed
Dictionary Entries Near hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hotbed
noun
hot·bed
ˈhät-ˌbed 
1
: a heated bed of soil enclosed in glass and used for growing seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of innovation
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