1
as in to congratulate
to express to (someone) admiration for his or her success or good fortune
she hugged herself for having made a killing on the investment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to clasp
to put one's arms around and press tightly
Grandma hugged the grandchildren good-bye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hug
Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Siblings and Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy and Sarah Levy hug it out at the Big Mistakes tastemaker event in Los Angeles on March 30.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
One of his sons started running toward him for a hug.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
Stroll or bike the roughly 22-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path, offering up-close views of the Gilded Age estates and modern abodes that hug the water.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Siblings and Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy and Sarah Levy hug it out at the Big Mistakes tastemaker event in Los Angeles on March 30.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
In a video shared by the Golf Channel on X, Young was mid-interview, trophy in hand, when one of his sons broke away and sprinted toward him for a hug.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
One of his sons started running toward him for a hug.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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In a statement on Monday, Johnson congratulated King on landing the gig.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Tiafoe has been one of Baptiste’s biggest fans and congratulates her often on social media.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Keyla ran around the stage in a black dress adorned with crosses, Richie and Palmer clasped their hands in excitement.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Others showed baby Spero clasping his tiny hand around Graham's finger and slumbering with a smile on his face.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After her fall, Kim sought out the new champion and gave her a big embrace.—
Gawon Bae,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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Hidalgo shared an embrace with Notre Dame legend Skylar Diggins after the win and talked about sharing that moment with her.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At their initial meeting, Ejection clung to the conviction that Chalker was a Mossad operative trying to lure him to his death.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Many are still processing the loss while clinging on to Coleman's memory.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Javier Sanoja lined a double over the head of left fielder Jake McCarthy, who missed making the grab by inches.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
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The only question now is the final tally of Donald’s victims, mostly civilians and children, when his Middle East power grab from indiscriminate carpet-bombing comes to an end.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now a new generation can cradle their own.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
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Cushion Valuables When Moving There's nothing better to cradle your breakable goods when moving or packing items for storage than a pillow.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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