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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hug
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
And within that imagery, there were people shaking hands, people hugging, people smiling.
—Emily Wilson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
At least the show itself opens its arms fully, and delivers a warm, sturdy squeeze of a hug.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
Combs greeted the lawyers at his table with smiles, giving the two men handshakes and the three women hugs.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
And within that imagery, there were people shaking hands, people hugging, people smiling.
—Emily Wilson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
At one point, the little girl turns around and gives her mom a big hug, at which point Bey can’t help but stop singing and giggle.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
At least the show itself opens its arms fully, and delivers a warm, sturdy squeeze of a hug.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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That ethical dodge — congratulating modern progress, ignoring this era’s nervous breakdown — is the basic, political, insensitive reason that contemporary Hollywood cannot create love stories.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
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Celebrities and fellow golfers congratulated him after his big win.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Both were seen visually emotional, clasping their faces at times.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2025
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With her hands clasped to the sides of her face, the well-to-do woman is said to have demonstrated her request by lifting the corners of her mouth and cheeks.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The billionaire's work as an adviser to Trump and his embrace of right-wing politics in Europe have drawn widespread opposition, including protests and vandalism at Tesla showrooms.—
Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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This plays into the choreographer’s embrace of symbolism—beloved since childhood, when postcards of the surrealistic paintings of Dalí and Magritte fired her imagination.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The hojicha was so earthy and coated my tongue, clinging to the fattiness of the oat milk.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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But on this particular Wednesday morning, the 46-year-old father of three arrived in an ambulance, clinging to his life, having suffered severe burns to most of his body, his right leg broken and his left leg violently cut off below the knee.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In an April 22 note, Commonwealth Bank of Australia senior economist Stephen Wu projected that The release also comes as Australia gears up for an election on May 3, with all 150 seats in the lower House of Representatives, and 40 of the 76 seats in the country’s Senate up for grabs.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
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That year, two city council seats were up for grabs, and there was a special sales and use tax measure on the ballot.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Serene blue acrylic patches, cradling the artist, accentuating the father’s magnified hand, and barely brushing by the mother’s leg, draw together the family unit.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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The next day, Aren saw a photo on the front page of the local newspaper of Baylee’s battered and lifeless body cradled in the arms of an Oklahoma City firefighter.—
Sean Murphy,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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