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
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Recent Examples of hugged
Liu hugged Sakamoto tight and long.
—
Nbc News, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
In addition to a splendid burger, La Birra Bar, which has locations in North Miami Beach, Wynwood, Fort Lauderdale, Weston and Argentina, has a spirited team, who shouted and hugged each other and celebrated vigorously after the victory was announced.
—Connie Ogle
updated February 20, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Stolz, who will still race in the mass start Saturday, hugged Ning on the ice after the race.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Ogden dropped to his knees and hugged his teammate and friend.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
After 18-year-old Italian Flora Tabanelli won bronze on her home soil in her Olympic debut Monday night, Gu hugged her.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Hudson turned heads at the The Beverly Hilton red carpet in her off-the-shoulder Erdem silk gown, which hugged her body through the knee and featured an unexpected distressed accent with a raw seam on her neckline and visible stitching on the frayed hem.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Kiara hugged me hard, then twirled me around to check out my outfit.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Nbc News, NBC news, 21 Feb. 2026
In addition to a splendid burger, La Birra Bar, which has locations in North Miami Beach, Wynwood, Fort Lauderdale, Weston and Argentina, has a spirited team, who shouted and hugged each other and celebrated vigorously after the victory was announced.
—Connie Ogle
updated February 20, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her.
—Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Stolz, who will still race in the mass start Saturday, hugged Ning on the ice after the race.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Ogden dropped to his knees and hugged his teammate and friend.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
After 18-year-old Italian Flora Tabanelli won bronze on her home soil in her Olympic debut Monday night, Gu hugged her.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Hudson turned heads at the The Beverly Hilton red carpet in her off-the-shoulder Erdem silk gown, which hugged her body through the knee and featured an unexpected distressed accent with a raw seam on her neckline and visible stitching on the frayed hem.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 Feb. 2026
Kiara hugged me hard, then twirled me around to check out my outfit.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
Verb
-
Hortiz congratulated Bozeman on his retirement.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The men were personally congratulated with a direct call, while the women were referenced later, almost as a footnote, in a moment punctuated by laughter.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the final seconds ticked down, Bishop’s senior Lotte Lightner clasped the hand of a teammate on the bench and then bounced up to cheer.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Watching from the center of the oval, Ning clasped his hands in prayer during the final race.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As a hard worker, Hwang clung to her work as a way to provide for herself and her family.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Despite the relative calm, fear and caution clung to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Moroney, who sang covers, grabbed her guitar and riled up the crowd.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The woman, who is listed as a current or former girlfriend of Fleming’s, first petitioned for a court order against him in January 2025, alleging that Fleming had grabbed her by her scarf and used it to choke her, and threatened her for spreading rumors about him.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Across the country, cities have embraced historic districts and cultural corridors as anchors of pride and prosperity.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Their steadfast romance speaks not of life interrupted but rather adapted and embraced.—
Carol Guzy,
NPR,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugged. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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