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
Lustenberger grew up two hours away in Invermere, a hotbed of British Columbia’s ski culture.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Some scientific disciplines have become hotbeds for slop.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Naples has become a hotbed of luxury real estate in the Sunshine State.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
Why was Indiana’s Mendoza lost in plain sight in the recruiting hotbed of South Florida?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
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Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Some scientific disciplines have become hotbeds for slop.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Naples has become a hotbed of luxury real estate in the Sunshine State.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
Why was Indiana’s Mendoza lost in plain sight in the recruiting hotbed of South Florida?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 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
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