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 Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ veteran Venezuelan infielder, was among several teammates who hugged and spoke to Alfonzo in the dugout. — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026 The ships would travel under cover of darkness, often in convoys that sailed close together and hugged the Omani coast, according to two people familiar with the matter. — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026 Cheers and clapping could be heard after the two hugged and soaked up the occasion. — Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 The two met on the pitch after the match, hugged and exchanged a few words. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 In the selfie video, Valentina grinned into the camera wearing a gold choker and gold hoops as her mother hugged her from behind. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 30 June 2026 At the defense table that day, Broadwater, wearing a gray pinstripe suit, choked back sobs and hugged his lawyers. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 He was comforted by Denzel Dumfries, a former team-mate at PSV Eindhoven and hugged by Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk. — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 30 June 2026 The Congo fans danced, sang, hugged, shouted in disbelief. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
  1. congratulated
  2. clasped
  3. clung
  4. grabbed
  5. embraced
Verb
  • Trump held calls with Zelenskyy and Putin over the weekend as both leaders congratulated the president on the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence.
    — Elise Spenner, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • Her Instagram followers congratulated her on the memorable catch.
    — Lisa Gutierrez July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Definition of congratulated
Verb
  • As the service began, it was clasped shut.
    — Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 June 2026
  • The Philly duo’s tender, faintly medieval-sounding folk song has its hands clasped and its heart on its sleeve.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
Definition of clasped
Verb
  • There had no visible safety equipment, and clung to the spire by their fingertips.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The chaotic conclusion nearly overshadowed what Gray had done earlier, striking out nine and shutting down the Yankees emphatically for 7 1/3 innings as Boston clung to a 2-0 advantage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
Definition of clung
Verb
  • Kane has grabbed the headlines, but Bellingham is England’s MVP so far.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • During the encore, Lifeson fired a foam arrow at Peart and the drummer grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth.
    — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • The show is in high demand, and media buyers say their clients have embraced becoming part of the cultural conversations.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • But state Senate leadership had embraced the Fair Share plan.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of embraced

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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 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hugged

Nglish: Translation of hugged for Spanish Speakers

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