hugged

verb

past tense of hug
1
as in congratulated
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 clasped
to put one's arms around and press tightly Grandma hugged the grandchildren good-bye

Synonyms & Similar 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 hugged Lombard rounded the bases as his parents cheered and hugged in the stands. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 The two stars hugged it out until Owens threw the first punch. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The winners jumped from their seats and hugged as confetti poured around them. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026 Saldaña, shimmering in Cartier, mingled with costars and hugged fans and friends, giving Kidman an especially tight squeeze. — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026 He’s been seen riding on the back of another monkey, sitting with the adults and being groomed and hugged. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026 Villagers hugged trees to save them from being cut and to promote sustainable use, regeneration, and protection of forest resources. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 Clad in the world champion’s rainbows, Evenepoel clenched both his fists, beamed a toothy grin, and hugged his soigneur. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026 The man hugged a bag, the woman shouted and flailed her arms, and the young teenage boy pulled at his sister, who seemed stupefied. — Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
  1. congratulated
  2. clasped
  3. clung
  4. grabbed
  5. embraced
Verb
  • In a social media post, James Lee Bright, a lawyer for Rhodes, congratulated the defendants.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In a statement on Wednesday, Stevens congratulated Abdul El-Sayed on winning the Democratic nomination.
    — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of congratulated
Verb
  • In 1975, as Cold War tensions thawed, an American commander and his Soviet counterpart clasped hands in space after their spacecraft docked.
    — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
  • This gadget from the comics is typically depicted as a metal collar clasped around a mutant’s neck.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
Definition of clasped
Verb
  • Down to 10 men, fighting altitude and fervent home support, the Three Lions somehow clung on against the co-host to reach the quarterfinals.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • On this day, four guests — clad in masks, snorkels, flippers, and dressed in all black to reduce the risk of being confused for a fish by the sharks — clung onto a safety line and watched as the silky sharks encircled them.
    — Kate Waxman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of clung
Verb
  • In an attempt to stop the dog attack, the owner grabbed a gun and shot the attacking dog.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Mulholland grabbed his assistant and told his chauffeur to head there.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Dan Na Ambassagou, a militia group that fights against Fulanis, accusing them of harboring Islamist groups, was once embraced by the government but has now been denounced.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • The Cleveland Browns quarterback embraced his father’s appearance at training camp in Berea, Ohio this week — one year after telling the Colorado head coach to keep his distance.
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of embraced

Browse Nearby Words

hugest
hugged
hugger-mugger
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Cite this Entry

“Hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugged. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hugged

Nglish: Translation of hugged for Spanish Speakers

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