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
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Jayson Tatum walked over to wrap Kornet in a big bear hug.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 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
Vrabel went in for a bear hug after the Patriots’ defense stopped the Los Angeles Chargers on their final drive to secure the 16-3 win.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Jayson Tatum walked over to wrap Kornet in a big bear hug.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 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 18 Jan. 2026.
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