bear-hugged; bear-hugging; bear-hugs
: to embrace in a bear hug
: a rough tight embrace
Examples of bear-hug in a Sentence
Verb
elated team members bear-hugging everyone in sight
Noun
He gave his brother a bear hug.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 9 Jan. 2026
Williams celebrated by jumping onto the goal post padding and bear-hugging the upright, which earned him a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Cut to a massive stadium packed with fans, and Pepsi logos, and a hilarious re-creation of the Coldplay kiss-cam fiasco as the male bear hugs his pop paramour from behind, wrapping his arms around her as the both hold cans.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear-hug
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Verb
Mamdani’s refusal to bear-hug Israeli leadership, which until recently was de rigueur for both political parties, has transformed him into the embodiment of a bogeyman for some Jews who live above 60th Street.
—Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 9 Jan. 2026
Williams celebrated by jumping onto the goal post padding and bear-hugging the upright, which earned him a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Noun
Williams had just blown up the Chargers’ last-gasp comeback attempt and charged over to his head coach, getting a massive bear hug from Vrabel.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Cut to a massive stadium packed with fans, and Pepsi logos, and a hilarious re-creation of the Coldplay kiss-cam fiasco as the male bear hugs his pop paramour from behind, wrapping his arms around her as the both hold cans.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear-hug
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear-hug. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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