as in to hug
to put one's arms around and press tightly
elated team members bear-hugging everyone in sight
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Recent Examples of bear-hug
Safdie had designed two pink granite 60-story massive towers, almost bear-hugging each other.
—
Ed Wallace, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
Recommended Why Republicans blasted Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. – and bear-hugged Kash Patel
That does not seem likely to overcome Mr. Trump’s preference for unilateral action over international engagement in remaking U.S. foreign policy.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2025
But in his Instagram post yesterday, Zuckerberg bear-hugged the term, using it as a synonym for the entire practice of content moderation itself.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2025
Even as Apple is bear-hugging machine learning, the executives caution that the embrace is, in a sense, business as usual for them.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
Addison extended beyond the Bears defense to snatch a 45-yarder while being bear-hugged in the first half.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Less than an hour later, a mighty whoop erupted as Chapel sank the third ping-pong ball, and everyone rushed back to the table to yell, leap, chest-bump and bear-hug — a moment of euphoria worthy of a winning lottery ticket.
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
Finally, as the judge said not guilty for the sixth time, Connor lowered his head, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and bear-hugged the public defenders who represented him.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
The policy of bear-hugging Netanyahu has not worked.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024
Ed Wallace, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
Recommended Why Republicans blasted Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. – and bear-hugged Kash Patel
That does not seem likely to overcome Mr. Trump’s preference for unilateral action over international engagement in remaking U.S. foreign policy.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2025
But in his Instagram post yesterday, Zuckerberg bear-hugged the term, using it as a synonym for the entire practice of content moderation itself.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2025
Even as Apple is bear-hugging machine learning, the executives caution that the embrace is, in a sense, business as usual for them.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
Addison extended beyond the Bears defense to snatch a 45-yarder while being bear-hugged in the first half.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Less than an hour later, a mighty whoop erupted as Chapel sank the third ping-pong ball, and everyone rushed back to the table to yell, leap, chest-bump and bear-hug — a moment of euphoria worthy of a winning lottery ticket.
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
Finally, as the judge said not guilty for the sixth time, Connor lowered his head, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and bear-hugged the public defenders who represented him.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
The policy of bear-hugging Netanyahu has not worked.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear-hug
Verb
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James scurried after and hugged both his father and grandfathers' legs.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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Whitmer hugged Trump at the event, less than one month after she was photographed hiding her face at an Oval Office meeting with the president.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Both were seen visually emotional, clasping their faces at times.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2025
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With her hands clasped to the sides of her face, the well-to-do woman is said to have demonstrated her request by lifting the corners of her mouth and cheeks.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hug. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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