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
Relevance
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
After Beck’s winning TD an assistant coach on the sideline hugged Cristobal from behind but the head coach broke free and wanted none if that -- because Ole Miss and gifted QB Trinidad Chambliss had the ball left without about a half-minute left.
—
Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
After taking the 27-24 lead, an assistant went up to the head coach and hugged him from behind while smiling from ear to ear.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Santanelli also at some point in the inappropriate relationship had hugged and kissed the student, according to the police department.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
Self hugged Ward’s wife, Robin, in the locker room area.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Mourners hugged before relatives boarded the aircraft.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2026
As the two hugged, Hayley flashed a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Celebrations erupted outside El Arepazo restaurant, a longtime gathering spot for the Venezuelan community, where people hugged, sang and waved flags as the sun came up.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Attendees of the interconfessional church service hugged and shook hands as the prosperous Alpine town sought to pull together to process the trauma of one of the deadliest tragedies to strike modern Switzerland.
—Reuters, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
After taking the 27-24 lead, an assistant went up to the head coach and hugged him from behind while smiling from ear to ear.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Santanelli also at some point in the inappropriate relationship had hugged and kissed the student, according to the police department.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
Self hugged Ward’s wife, Robin, in the locker room area.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Mourners hugged before relatives boarded the aircraft.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2026
As the two hugged, Hayley flashed a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Celebrations erupted outside El Arepazo restaurant, a longtime gathering spot for the Venezuelan community, where people hugged, sang and waved flags as the sun came up.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Attendees of the interconfessional church service hugged and shook hands as the prosperous Alpine town sought to pull together to process the trauma of one of the deadliest tragedies to strike modern Switzerland.
—Reuters, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
Verb
-
The pair exchanged smiles and kisses as the accolade was engraved, while Chalamet also congratulated fellow winner Paul Thomas Anderson, who took home the Best Screenplay award for One Battle After Another.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Trump congratulated Microsoft on its efforts to keep prices in check, suggesting that other companies will make similar commitments.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Smith sits poised, contemplative, his hands clasped together.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The 41-year-old Monterey Park resident clasped a cup of hot chocolate.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But where Smith believed unrealistically in talismanic lists and self-help books to redirect his life, Capote clung fiercely to his own brilliance and hard work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The night was warm and muggy over New Castle Air Force Base in Delaware, the kind of heat that clung to the metal skins of the alert fighter jets lined along the runway.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Jazzy Davidson scored all of her 12 points in the first quarter on a poor shooting night (5 for 23 from the field), grabbed five boards and dished out five assists.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Towns scored 17 and grabbed 20 rebounds for New York, while Mikal Bridges scored 21 and OG Anunoby scored 25.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Super Bowl ad is the latest move by a president and administration that have fully embraced professional sports as a prime venue to deliver their message.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Gonzalez also embraced the trend, wearing a sheer black corset top of her own.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugged. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
