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 At 78 inches long, the frame fits a twin size mattress that is hugged by a frame that works as a headboard. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026 Tolle, instead of simply tagging Canzone, hugged him for the out. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 After the verdict, members of Shakur’s family hugged the two prosecutors. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Shelley Strommen, one of the activists who has spearheaded the effort, hugged Gorman. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 The beach is the stuff of postcards and paintings, hugged by cliffs with improbably radiant aquamarine water and a giant conical rock formation right in the middle of the bay. — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026 The dynamic duo giggled and hugged as curious onlookers took out their iPhones and started snapping away. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026 Miranda Hope says in a scene as the trailer cuts to a shot of Paul sobbing and being hugged by Neeley, Mikayla Matthews and Jessi Draper. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 Gabriel Moreno hit a check swing RBI double that hugged the first base line and stayed fair before Geraldo Perdomo's two-run single cut the deficit to 4-3. — CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugged
  1. congratulated
  2. clasped
  3. clung
  4. grabbed
  5. embraced
Verb
  • Woods on Sunday congratulated PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won the Tour Championship, claiming a second FedEx Cup title and surpassing Woods for the most PGA Tour career earnings.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Beckham told reporters that Harbaugh put his arm around him and congratulated him on making the team following a solid final preseason game against the New York Jets.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of congratulated
Verb
  • Davis stood with his lawyer as the verdict was read, then sat with his hands clasped on the table.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The new mothers clasped their babies close as a pack of teenagers ran through the park.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of clasped
Verb
  • Ryder clung onto Nathaniel as waves repeatedly crashed over them.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • One man desperately clung to a light pole in Cambridge City as muddy, brown water swirled around him, before he was eventually rescued.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of clung
Verb
  • The lawsuit by a Los Angeles studio claims Michael Shvartsman demanded early repayment, threatened its CEO and grabbed a bigger slice of profits after the film’s Mar-a-Lago premiere.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The man grabbed his iguana (which survived the flight) and left.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • Warsh, despite his arrival as a disruptor of Fed protocol, embraced that summer-retreat spirit.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For three decades, in an increasingly noisy and stress-filled world, Miraval Arizona has embraced its philosophy of Life in Balance, pioneering the concept of transformative wellbeing through mindfulness.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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