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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hug
Mark Carey, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Culkin's wife, Jazz Charton, and Strong's wife, Emma Wall, also hugged soon after.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
O'Hara, who'd been holding court while seated at a bench near the entrance with husband Bo Welch, gave Cyndy a big hug and did the same for Powell.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hug 
Verb
As the graphic below shows, Kubo will keep his width, enticing the opposition full-back towards him — hugging the touchline before bursting into life and often driving inside to find a team-mate at the back post.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Culkin's wife, Jazz Charton, and Strong's wife, Emma Wall, also hugged soon after.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
In it, the young Taylor, adorned in a polka dot dress and whimsical bow, presents her costar with some gifts before the two exchange a hug.
—EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
O'Hara, who'd been holding court while seated at a bench near the entrance with husband Bo Welch, gave Cyndy a big hug and did the same for Powell.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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Immediately after his victory, many tech leaders publicly congratulated Trump and started making moves to win his favor, including schmoozing with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and making donations to his inauguration committee.Jay Peters, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2025
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Fans took to the comment section to congratulate Oleksy and her husband.Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The sports betting halls are reasonably active, though at a dozen gaming tables dealers stand and stare, waiting with hands clasped at the waist.Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
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At a time of year meant for family gatherings and holiday celebrations, the Craig family is clasping their hands in prayer.Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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An embrace of the real world does not mean abandoning the digital one.Olof Schybergson, Fortune Asia, 8 Jan. 2025
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And yet, the power of the presidential pardon, based on the embrace of the concepts of mercy and amnesty, essentially guarantees that, in fact, a select few are actually not held accountable for crimes they have been found guilty of.Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Despite these setbacks, the opposition has clung to the belief that the election results, if made public, would prove González's landslide victory.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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They’re muted, less sticky, so attention clings to them less.Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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One of the greatest sports cars to ever bear the Shelby name is about to go up for grabs.Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Jan. 2025
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Bloomberg noted that acquiring TikTok could also be a powerful data grab to supercharge xAI.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There, alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela, Carter cradled babies infected with the virus, lovingly holding the infants as cameras snapped pictures.Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
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This base cradles the mushroom’s central sphere, which houses its spores.Scott Travers, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hug
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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