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
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Pasta with this fresh sauce in the middle of winter is like a warm, summery hug.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Rodriguez shared a photo of himself on Instagram hugging his Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
Back down at the hut, at nineteen thousand feet, I was greeted by my brother, who gave me a long hug with wet eyes.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Pasta with this fresh sauce in the middle of winter is like a warm, summery hug.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
But in 1995, when Faldo dropped the Cup-clinching putt, one of the first people to hug him was Ballesteros, who was holding back tears.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Rodriguez shared a photo of himself on Instagram hugging his Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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Both Jeremy and Evi joined the couple for their engagement festivities and congratulated them in separate Instagram Stories.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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Please join me in congratulating Peter on his new role and in welcoming him to Amazon.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The athlete kicked off his update posted on Wednesday with a snap of the pair walking down the aisle in their wedding attire with their hands clasped together in the air after exchanging their vows.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Far from being simply a denunciation of marginalization, the song becomes a sincere embrace of vulnerable childhoods, highlighting the pain of those who grow up in poverty, neglect, and, often, are forced into crime as a means of survival.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
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Alejandro and his band embrace bomba even more here, dedicating the album’s opener to the genre and leaning into its Afro-Puerto Rican origins and ties to African religions.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the opening stretch, as young Pat fights the power, we’re touched by the actor’s boyishness, still clinging to him at fifty.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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In one video shared on social media, Monica Moreta-Galarza and her daughter are shown clinging tightly to their husband and father as he is being detained in a hallway of 26 Federal Plaza – the ICE district office in Lower Manhattan.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Deep in the Chiefs territory, the ball was up for grabs … again.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
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Nik Bonitto almost sacked Herbert on Keenan Allen's one-handed grab against Moss.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Other photos showed the new mom and dad cradling their little one — and even a photo of their dog greeting the newest member of the family.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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Some elements can recall being cradled as a baby; many find being rocked during a massage, or bundled up in a cloth, tremendously emotional.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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