bear-hug
verb
\
Definition of bear-hug
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to embrace in a bear hug
bear hug
nounDefinition of bear hug (Entry 2 of 2)
: a rough tight embrace
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for bear-hug
Synonyms: Verb
clasp, crush, embrace, enclasp, enfold, grasp, hug, strain
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of bear-hug in a Sentence
Noun
He gave his brother a bear hug.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Then a couple dozen children ran to her and into a class bear hug. — Liz Bowie, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore County teacher calls it a career after 41 years in the same first-grade classroom," 15 June 2018 Frances McDormand grabs her Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri co-star Sam Rockwell in a bear hug, before fixing his bow tie. — Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY, "Oscars 2018: Everything crazy thing we saw backstage at the Academy Awards," 5 Mar. 2018 Sonics legend Gary Payton gave out bear hugs on stage. — Evan Webeck, The Seattle Times, "A little rain gives Special Olympics USA Games’ opening ceremony a Pacific Northwest feel," 1 July 2018 Daniel Strada was an inspirational fitness buff who made goofy YouTube videos and wrapped his mother in giant bear hugs. — Michael Williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake Mary man was killed by a stray bullet — all because of a fight he had no part in," 12 July 2018 When Yelich emerged from the dugout before batting practice, Justin Bour greeted him with a bear hug. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Christian Yelich returns to Marlins Park as an All-Star, in first place: 'I really did enjoy my five years here'," 9 July 2018 The men fought — Knight got one punch in and tried to hold Baptista in a type of bear hug, said Gembolis. — Rafael Olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Suspect in Miramar manslaughter argues self defense," 22 June 2018 The Korean leaders' second summit in a month saw bear hugs and broad smiles. — chicagotribune.com, "U.S. delegation holds talks with North Korean officials in Demilitarized Zone," 27 May 2018 Casey swallowed him up in a gigantic bear hug and held on tight. — Ron Richmond For The Oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Inside Luke Heimlich's senior season with the Oregon State baseball team," 8 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bear-hug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on bear-hug
What made you want to look up bear-hug? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Vocab Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share bear-hug
Resources for bear-hug