1
as in to congratulate
to express to (someone) admiration for his or her success or good fortune
she hugged herself for having made a killing on the investment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to clasp
to put one's arms around and press tightly
Grandma hugged the grandchildren good-bye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hug
Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Beyond the cuddly interior, the boots also feature supportive 6-milimiter memory foam insoles that gently hug the arches and soles of your feet.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2026
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Yong Woo cuts her off with a hug, thanking her for hesitating because of him, and the two walk on into a slo-mo sequence, laughing about Ji Seon’s Busan dialect.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
In a patchy field outside the nonprofit’s office, as city officials and police worked, the two hugged.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Beyond the cuddly interior, the boots also feature supportive 6-milimiter memory foam insoles that gently hug the arches and soles of your feet.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2026
Noun
The news conference ended with a comically awkward hug.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Yong Woo cuts her off with a hug, thanking her for hesitating because of him, and the two walk on into a slo-mo sequence, laughing about Ji Seon’s Busan dialect.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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The surprise meeting was on the stage of the Zlata Hokejka (Golden Stick) award show in the Czech Republic, where Hašek congratulated Dostál for being named one of the country’s best hockey players.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Rehmet said Patrick congratulated him.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Place your forearms on the ground, with your elbows under your shoulders and palms clasped together, forming a fist.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
5 Feb. 2026
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To keep the jewelry clean, Glasser covered them in bubblegum wrappers, removing them before clasping the dress in place.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The company’s brand has already suffered greatly under Musk’s leadership, with droves of potential buyers being pushed away by his inflammatory rhetoric and embrace of far-right ideals.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
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During a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in July 2025, Cabot was spotted in an embrace with the company's CEO Andy Byron.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Keep the Feeder Clean Keeping your hummingbird feeder clean, so that no liquid food is clinging to the surface, is a good way to deter ants (and other bugs like bees) from being attracted to it.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
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But for now, Karnišovas is clinging to that hope for a successful (and lucky) future.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Poll results from Japanese outlet NHK showed that the risk paid off, with the LDP winning 316 seats out of the 465 up for grabs in the House, well above the 233 needed for a simply majority.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Feb. 2026
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Look for containers to house baking supplies, grab-and-go snacks, breakfast items, seasoning mixes, and hard-to-organize spice packets.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cushion Valuables When Moving There's nothing better to cradle your breakable goods when moving or packing items for storage than a pillow.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 2026
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All Fox could do was cradle Truman’s hand, stare straight ahead, summon a proud mournful dignity, and try to pretend that the people all around them did not exist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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