1
as in congratulating
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 clasping
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 hugging
Other videos showed rescuers inside and outside the cave cheering, jumping around and hugging each other in joy after the discovery.
—
ABC News, 27 May 2026
Dina Powell McCormick weaves through the crowd, cheerily hugging people and introducing strangers to one another.
—Ellie Austin, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Instead, the now-former defendants appeared in court all smiles, hugging one another before the proceedings began.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The squad congregated outside the dressing room, slapping hands and hugging each other.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
For the festivities, the 53-year-old actress wore a long-sleeve, body-hugging white dress.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 25 May 2026
Meanwhile, doctors working in eastern DRC are hammering home the message that people should avoid touching anyone who may have Ebola, stop unnecessary physical contact like hugging with anyone, and avoid touching dead animals.
—Erikas Mwisi, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
All four of us were in tears and hugging it out.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
The German supermodel attended the event in a brown figure-hugging corset dress with a scalloped neckline and sheer mesh cutouts on the sides, as well as a thigh-high slit and ruching at the hip.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
ABC News, 27 May 2026
Dina Powell McCormick weaves through the crowd, cheerily hugging people and introducing strangers to one another.
—Ellie Austin, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Instead, the now-former defendants appeared in court all smiles, hugging one another before the proceedings began.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
The squad congregated outside the dressing room, slapping hands and hugging each other.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
For the festivities, the 53-year-old actress wore a long-sleeve, body-hugging white dress.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 25 May 2026
Meanwhile, doctors working in eastern DRC are hammering home the message that people should avoid touching anyone who may have Ebola, stop unnecessary physical contact like hugging with anyone, and avoid touching dead animals.
—Erikas Mwisi, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
All four of us were in tears and hugging it out.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
The German supermodel attended the event in a brown figure-hugging corset dress with a scalloped neckline and sheer mesh cutouts on the sides, as well as a thigh-high slit and ruching at the hip.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugging
Verb
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Patrick Mahomes has a share in the Kansas City Royals and tweeted a video of Kelce's first pitch in congratulating him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
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Patrick Mahomes has a share in the Kansas City Royals and tweeted a video of Kelce’s first pitch in congratulating him.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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In one segment, when Kimmel and McNearney pick up a hitchhiking Olivia Rodrigo while taking the family to school, Jane shows off her personality, clasping her hands over her mouth in disbelief when Rodrigo enters the car, only to sing-along with the pop star on her way to school.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
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McDaniels held onto Murray for dear life — often literally clasping his jersey — as the Nuggets tried to run him off every conceivable screen.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Here, as ever, Kokopeli suggests that clinging to youthful talismans offers no protection against uncertainty, and reasserts the odd mix of disaffection and morbid glee produced by such reactionary impulses.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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The company ceased clinging exclusively to Windows and aggressively pivoted toward cloud computing, artificial intelligence and open platforms.—
Veronica Angela,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Wembanyama finished Game 6 with 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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More recently, modern brides have started embracing more color in their wedding looks again.—
María Mérida,
Glamour,
30 May 2026
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On the billboard is a photo of Díaz-Rosillo embracing the Argentinian president and right-wing firebrand.—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugging. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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