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
  • The leaders of right-wing populist parties in Spain and Portugal also congratulated AfD, German news agency dpa reported.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Several of Crowder’s Tell Me Lies costars congratulated her in the comment section.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 4 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
  • In a 1987 article for the New York Times, Albuquerque jewelry salesman Manny Goodman recalls seeing Native Americans wearing bandanas clasped with silver conches as early as the 1930s.
    — Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of clasped
Verb
  • Even after a catastrophic 2023 heatwave set off the worst coral bleaching event in state history, some plucky polyps clung to life.
    — Nicolás Rivero, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Here was this fit, so daring and so specific, that clung to the curves of our legs like cellophane.
    — Jane Herman, Vogue, 3 Sep. 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
  • Brokerage firms that embraced this new technology gave their traders and customers a unique advantage over competitors.
    — Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the initial pushback by the federation, this new age of French basketball is now embraced.
    — Eden Laase, New York Times, 4 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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