1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

hug 1 of 2

verb

ˈhəg How to pronounce hug (audio)
Definition of hugnext
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

Relevance

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

hug

2 of 2

noun

as in embrace

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hug
Verb
Wilkinson saw her before the game and the two hugged each other. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026 Seated in a wheelchair, he was quickly wheeled out of the courtroom after the sentencing, while some of his accusers hugged and brushed away tears. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
Her mom smiled with happiness, and then the two shared a warm hug as Williams wiped tears from her eyes. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026 At Nebraska’s northern border with South Dakota, the hills and hollows of Highway 12 hug the Missouri River from Ponca to Valentine. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
  1. congratulate
  2. clasp
  3. embrace
  4. cling
  5. grab
  6. cradle
Verb
  • The veteran coach congratulated his team for the win and quickly pivoted to yelling about mental mistakes that kept Houston County in the game.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Williams watched the record-breaking performance on TV from his home in Glen Ellyn and called Crow-Armstrong after the game to congratulate the 24-year-old.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of congratulate
Verb
  • But if the awards season goes as the streamer plans, a journey that began in Cannes with a rapturous standing ovation, could end with Los Javis clasping some golden statues.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Davis stood with his lawyer as the verdict was read, then sat with his hands clasped on the table.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of clasp
Noun
  • Although the pair walked the red carpet individually, they were pictured holding hands and posing in a sweet embrace inside the event.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 20 Sep. 2026
  • My advice is to learn the business, embrace technology and stay relentlessly curious about the humans doing the work.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of embrace
Verb
  • The senior Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest after being convicted last year for trying to cling to power following that defeat.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
  • James Pantemis stopped two shots for Portland (9-12-5), which is clinging to the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of cling
Noun
  • His 122-page indictment, which named Badio and the Colombians among others, spelled out a power grab that also involved people in the president’s circle.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
  • But somehow, Chase contorted his body, located the ball, snagged it out of the air, and kept both feet in the end zone for one of the best touchdown grabs of the season thus far.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The device features flexible side wings that can fold inward to cradle the head and neck.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
  • While standard flip-flops are generally relatively flat, these are made with plenty of arch support, along with deep heel cups to cradle your feet for full-day comfort.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Definition of cradle

Browse Nearby Words

huffy
hug
huge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All