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 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 Ronaldo Salgado, son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer last week, is hugged outside a public visitation for this father on Thursday in Houston. — Albinson Linares, NBC news, 17 July 2026 The former Spice Girl — who went viral for her bored reaction to England’s winning goal in the team’s quarterfinal victory over Norway on July 11 — hugged her husband after England scored, as seen on the Fox broadcast. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 After what may have been the most important game in the Mexican national team’s World Cup history, coach Javier Aguirre hugged each of his 26 players. — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 As the evening turned to night and the festivities wound down, people hugged and said goodbye and thanked my husband and me for persevering. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 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 The two met on the pitch after the match, hugged and exchanged a few words. — ABC News, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
  1. congratulated
  2. clasped
  3. clung
  4. grabbed
  5. embraced
Verb
  • In a post on social media, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi on his appointment as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s military.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 July 2026
  • Her mother in Kearney, Francesca Gambino Brown, congratulated her on social media last week as Brown prepares for the upcoming football season.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
Definition of congratulated
Verb
  • Hathaway clasped her hands over her face as Goldberg spoke, and eventually lowered her head to cry.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026
  • But here was Bobby, sitting at Jackie’s bedside, perhaps looking at the ground, one wrist clasped in his hand.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 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
  • Smith grabbed Hicks near her throat and slammed her into the car and onto the pavement, according to Hicks’ attorney.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Janet grabbed a roll of paper towels, ready to clean up the dirty drips that ran across her kitchen floor.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • The trend originated in South Korea, where PDRN was first embraced for its skin-healing and regenerative properties in both medical and cosmetic settings.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • The two of them embraced on the midfielder’s first day back at training, which happened to be his 28th birthday.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of hugged for Spanish Speakers

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