as in centers
a place or environment that favors the development of something
prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British
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Recent Examples of hotbeds
The early-season tournaments or invitationals, such as Clearwater two weeks ago or the gem of this past week, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, are hotbeds for shocking upsets and surprising — and sometimes uncharacteristic — early-season thrillers.
—
Molly Keshin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Those places aren’t exactly hotbeds for future big leaguers.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Some scientific disciplines have become hotbeds for slop.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
The second decade of the 20th century had seen San Diego become one of the world’s hotbeds for innovation and development in the nascent field of manned flight.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
At the time, Oakland was one of the hotbeds where protesters and police clashed.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
The ivory tower is losing luster by the second, after campuses around the country proved to be hotbeds of antisemitism, grade inflation has spiked rather than dissipated, and outrageous tuitions fund outlandish administrative salaries.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
The armed forces are not often seen as hotbeds of creativity.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Hospitals and orphanages are often thought of as hotbeds for paranormal activity, but there’s more to this history than that.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Oct. 2025
Molly Keshin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Those places aren’t exactly hotbeds for future big leaguers.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Some scientific disciplines have become hotbeds for slop.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
The second decade of the 20th century had seen San Diego become one of the world’s hotbeds for innovation and development in the nascent field of manned flight.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
At the time, Oakland was one of the hotbeds where protesters and police clashed.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
The ivory tower is losing luster by the second, after campuses around the country proved to be hotbeds of antisemitism, grade inflation has spiked rather than dissipated, and outrageous tuitions fund outlandish administrative salaries.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
The armed forces are not often seen as hotbeds of creativity.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Hospitals and orphanages are often thought of as hotbeds for paranormal activity, but there’s more to this history than that.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hotbeds
Noun
-
This phase would most likely have included the use of cruise missiles, stealth bombers, and drones to hit air defense installations and command centers.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
One of the Chinese ministries involved in the joint centers helped organize the World Conference of Classics.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With one day left to declare candidacy in the race for Los Angeles mayor, all eyes are on Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer behind outdoor shopping meccas like The Grove.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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After all, the Moroccan city is one of the world's great shopping meccas.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Plants grown in nurseries are crops maturing at different times throughout the year.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
These arms act as cosmic nurseries where new stars are constantly forming.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Now the tomatoes are heirloom from hothouses, and unfortunately, my tomato slices were mushy.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For a clerical establishment that cared above all about its courts, seminaries, and endowments, this was alarming.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
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Arafi serves on both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts and has spent years overseeing Iran's influential network of seminaries in Qom.—
Imtiaz Tyab,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These nests can be found along roof eaves, window corners, in mailboxes, and on sturdy plant leaves.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
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Perfect for a dessert tray or to top a cake, these little nests will delight everyone at your gathering.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hotbeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hotbeds. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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