1
as in to congratulate
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 to clasp
to put one's arms around and press tightly
Grandma hugged the grandchildren good-bye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hug
Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
On the other side of that tunnel of fans, looking like an Irish Andy Dufresne, McIlroy eventually ran out of people to hug.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Every woman deserves to have conversations that feel like a hug when visiting their medical professionals, and being culturally and socially aware of the experiences of others, especially patients, regardless of one’s background, lends itself to better interpersonal connection altogether.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
On her Instagram Stories, Cavallari also shared a promotional video for the new Uncommon James items, which featured some sweet mother-daughter moments, including a scene where the two hold hands, hug each other and make a pinky promise.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
On the other side of that tunnel of fans, looking like an Irish Andy Dufresne, McIlroy eventually ran out of people to hug.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
Sarah Michelle Gellar is giving her younger self a hug today.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Every woman deserves to have conversations that feel like a hug when visiting their medical professionals, and being culturally and socially aware of the experiences of others, especially patients, regardless of one’s background, lends itself to better interpersonal connection altogether.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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That ethical dodge — congratulating modern progress, ignoring this era’s nervous breakdown — is the basic, political, insensitive reason that contemporary Hollywood cannot create love stories.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
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Celebrities and fellow golfers congratulated him after his big win.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Both were seen visually emotional, clasping their faces at times.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2025
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With her hands clasped to the sides of her face, the well-to-do woman is said to have demonstrated her request by lifting the corners of her mouth and cheeks.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The billionaire's work as an adviser to Trump and his embrace of right-wing politics in Europe have drawn widespread opposition, including protests and vandalism at Tesla showrooms.—
Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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This plays into the choreographer’s embrace of symbolism—beloved since childhood, when postcards of the surrealistic paintings of Dalí and Magritte fired her imagination.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Banks that cling to legacy distribution models may see their brand recognition diminish, even as demand for their core services remains strong.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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When the time came to head to the airport, her parents accompanied her all the way to security to say goodbye — clinging to that moment for as long as possible.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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New faces on defense There were significant questions about the Broncos’ defense heading into the spring, with several starting positions up for grabs.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
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Even after guaranteeing more than $53 million in free agency to center Ryan Kelly and left guard Will Fries, the right guard spot remains up for grabs for a prospect who could push incumbent Blake Brandel.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Serene blue acrylic patches, cradling the artist, accentuating the father’s magnified hand, and barely brushing by the mother’s leg, draw together the family unit.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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The next day, Aren saw a photo on the front page of the local newspaper of Baylee’s battered and lifeless body cradled in the arms of an Oklahoma City firefighter.—
Sean Murphy,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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