as in hugged
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-hugged
Running back Isaac Guerendo returned to practice Tuesday and twice ran into the line only to be bear-hugged by Warner, who followed orders and did not tackle to the ground.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear-hugged
Verb
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Daughter discusses case Amanda Hundley, one of Smith’s daughters, hugged her mother outside the courthouse in March.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
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All of us, too sensitive in my favorite ways, skin pulled back from our bones, hugged in a group and wept without words.—
Lindsay Calleran,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
Verb
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In Wake-Keeper (2026), a roughly four-by-five-foot canvas, a pious man draped in the red cloth of traditional Ghanaian funeral attire sits on a stool with his hands clasped, his body facing the left side of the frame.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
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With the entire circumference surrounded by a sea of humanity, Bishnoi hung back, her hands clasped in front of her mouth, while Rai went and lofted the Wanamaker Trophy above his head.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hugged. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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