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
But BDCs invest in dozens if not hundreds of small businesses: not exactly a hotbed of stability and reliability.
—
Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Recruitment ‘hotbeds’ Over the past year, NPD has been invited to job fairs never before on its radar, Arres said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
That’s why some hotels and resorts are canceling or reimagining the buffets that have been a hotbed of overproduction—with kitchens sending out far more food than vacationers can eat, creating lots of waste in the process.
—Jen Rose Smith, AFAR Media, 27 May 2025
Seminole County, a hotbed of bear encounters several years ago, has seen a dramatic decrease in conflicts with bears since implementing such non-lethal measures as the use of bear-proof trash cans.
—Grant Gelhardt, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Recruitment ‘hotbeds’ Over the past year, NPD has been invited to job fairs never before on its radar, Arres said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
That’s why some hotels and resorts are canceling or reimagining the buffets that have been a hotbed of overproduction—with kitchens sending out far more food than vacationers can eat, creating lots of waste in the process.
—Jen Rose Smith, AFAR Media, 27 May 2025
Seminole County, a hotbed of bear encounters several years ago, has seen a dramatic decrease in conflicts with bears since implementing such non-lethal measures as the use of bear-proof trash cans.
—Grant Gelhardt, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 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 20 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share