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
-
Literacy screenings are not typically conducted in medical settings, but several prominent pediatric care centers, including Boston Children's Hospital, promote early literacy resources to families in recognition of reading's importance for a child's development.—
MAKIYA SEMINERA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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This system can be used around airports, stadiums, power plants, water treatment centers, correctional facilities, borders and other critical infrastructure.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 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
-
After all, the Moroccan city is one of the world's great shopping meccas.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Look for onion plants at garden centers and nurseries in early spring.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Mama black bears and their babies are officially back in their winter nurseries — underneath Lake Tahoe homes, video shows.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 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
-
From a young age, he was educated in seminaries, first in Iran and then in Najaf, Iraq, at the center of Shiite learning.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Shia Islam’s clerical structure has historically been decentralized, with different ayatollahs, seminaries, and religious networks operating with considerable autonomy.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bird, an eastern screech owl, is nocturnal and typically nests in tree cavities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Top floors of beloved hotel towers had been transformed into sniper nests.—
Yousra Elbagir,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hotbeds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hotbeds. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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