as in hugging
to put one's arms around and press tightly
elated team members bear-hugging everyone in sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear-hugging
Verb
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In typical athlete origin story fashion, the first half of the Christy trailer depicts the unpolished, brunette Sweeney as real-life champion Christy Salters Martin slugging it out in practice, training on a beach, and hugging her supportive team.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
11 Sep. 2025 -
But most are job hugging because job hoppers no longer get the big salary bump.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After arriving on the scene, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ran toward the sanctuary and was later seen clasping his hands outside on the church steps.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
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Parents, some in tears, walked from the school, clasping their kids by the hands or carrying them out on their shoulders.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bear-hugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hugging. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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