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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Harbour and Brown arrived together on the red carpet for the premiere of the latest season and were captured on camera laughing, hugging each other and posing for photos.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025 -
Sweeney’s look played with proportions, with the leg-hugging footwear offsetting her oversized ensemble.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Flex your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place the rope around the mid-foot, clasping the rope with the right hand.—
Gerard Hartmann,
Outside,
3 Nov. 2025
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Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 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 Nov. 2025.
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