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
As a young woman, Stanton frequently visited her cousin Gerrit Smith, a militant abolitionist and an ally of John Brown, whose house in Peterboro, New York, was a hotbed for radical intellectuals.
—
Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Despite major changes this year to timing and logistics, SXSW will again spotlight comedy and action films that other festivals don’t show, as well as be a hotbed for discovery of new talent.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The Cape Cod mansion became a hotbed for political activity in 1960 as JFK based his successful presidential campaign there.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Colonial Virginia was a hotbed of conflict over the authority of the Church of England.
—Corey D. B. Walker, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
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.
Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Despite major changes this year to timing and logistics, SXSW will again spotlight comedy and action films that other festivals don’t show, as well as be a hotbed for discovery of new talent.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The Cape Cod mansion became a hotbed for political activity in 1960 as JFK based his successful presidential campaign there.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Mar. 2026
Colonial Virginia was a hotbed of conflict over the authority of the Church of England.
—Corey D. B. Walker, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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
