1
: a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of activity
Examples of hotbed in a Sentence
a hotbed of political unrest
prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British
Recent Examples on the Web
Rasheed was mostly raised by a single mother who struggled financially, in San Diego’s Skyline neighborhood, infamous for being a hotbed of gang activity.
—
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Georgia is a hotbed for youth baseball, but Condon was not considered a hot prospect while playing high school baseball at The Walker School in Marietta, Ga.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
Our story reported that one country was a hotbed of risky selfies.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
Illinois has long been a hotbed of labor union activism dating back to the 1880s.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
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Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Georgia is a hotbed for youth baseball, but Condon was not considered a hot prospect while playing high school baseball at The Walker School in Marietta, Ga.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
Our story reported that one country was a hotbed of risky selfies.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
Illinois has long been a hotbed of labor union activism dating back to the 1880s.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hotbed
noun
hot·bed
ˈhät-ˌbed 
1
: a heated bed of soil enclosed in glass and used for growing seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of innovation
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