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
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Recent Examples of hugged
Prince Harry and Meghan hugged, twirled, dipped and danced across the frames taken during their first dance as a married couple, and the shots showed off new angles of her royal reception dress for the first time.
—
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the finish, raising each other's arms in victory.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Robbie and Tommy hugged Nana and Papa Bob goodbye.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Rice faced her old teammates Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic with the Washington Mystics in the franchise’s first game on May 8, and the trio hugged at center court in Toronto.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Bardem hugged his castmates and director after the screening.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 May 2026
That sensation is thought to promote a feeling of calm and relaxation by encouraging the nervous system to shift into a more restful state, similar to the comfort of being hugged or swaddled.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
After the match after the match, Asuka embraced and hugged Sky much to the crowd’s delight.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Jorge Mateo immediately followed with a solo blast that hugged the left-field line.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the finish, raising each other's arms in victory.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Robbie and Tommy hugged Nana and Papa Bob goodbye.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Rice faced her old teammates Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic with the Washington Mystics in the franchise’s first game on May 8, and the trio hugged at center court in Toronto.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Bardem hugged his castmates and director after the screening.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 May 2026
That sensation is thought to promote a feeling of calm and relaxation by encouraging the nervous system to shift into a more restful state, similar to the comfort of being hugged or swaddled.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
After the match after the match, Asuka embraced and hugged Sky much to the crowd’s delight.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Jorge Mateo immediately followed with a solo blast that hugged the left-field line.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
Verb
-
Arizona Diamondbacks is congratulated by Corbin Carroll #7 and Geraldo Perdomo #2 after hitting a grand slam during the first inning of the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on May 18, 2026 in Phoenix.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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They were joined by avid equestrienne Princess Anne, who congratulated the qualifiers for a thoroughbred riding event on scene.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Hands clasped, head bowed, blank and fair of face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the last general election, Streeting clung on to his seat in parliament by just 528 votes.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Reigns clung onto the referee and exposed a turnbuckle in the process.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Passed in the final days of session and signed into law by Lamont earlier this week, the bill was praised as a massive victory for the state’s labor community and has been strongly embraced by unions and workers advocacy groups.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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As a front man, Riley embraced the name—and, with it, a peacocking ambition to achieve mass visibility.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugged. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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