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
Relevance
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
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 hugging
After not being seen together again for a few months, Perry and Trudeau were then photographed in September, hugging and kissing on a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara.
—
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
The boots boasted a slim high heel, pointy toe and ankle-hugging silhouette.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2025
Similarly, Luar used stretch denim to create a body-hugging micro dress with exaggerated shoulders.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Cardi appeared to shoot the clip either at home or an office of sorts, and in the visual, she is draped in a polka-dot dress, hugging her curves and pregnant belly.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
After Namakura finished reading it, Styles bowed to the fans and put the mic down in the ring before hugging Nakamura.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Encourage job hugging for the right reasons.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The new Fast & Furious coaster revved up its engines and raced around the hillside-hugging track for the first time at Universal Studios Hollywood in preparation of the 2026 debut of the new thrill ride.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
The two jubilantly hugging each other.
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
The boots boasted a slim high heel, pointy toe and ankle-hugging silhouette.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2025
Similarly, Luar used stretch denim to create a body-hugging micro dress with exaggerated shoulders.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Cardi appeared to shoot the clip either at home or an office of sorts, and in the visual, she is draped in a polka-dot dress, hugging her curves and pregnant belly.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
After Namakura finished reading it, Styles bowed to the fans and put the mic down in the ring before hugging Nakamura.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Encourage job hugging for the right reasons.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The new Fast & Furious coaster revved up its engines and raced around the hillside-hugging track for the first time at Universal Studios Hollywood in preparation of the 2026 debut of the new thrill ride.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
The two jubilantly hugging each other.
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugging
Verb
-
Viewer Reactions The TikTok video reached over 110,000 views, nearly 8,000 likes and 2277 comments, with people congratulating the owner on their new home and melting over the dog's precious reaction.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
International Game Technology shared the big win in a Facebook post and a few people commented congratulating the winner.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacbee.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bend your elbow and reach for your right hand, clasping hands together in Cow Face arms.—
Riya Davda,
Outside,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And in the third period with the Sabres clinging to a 3-2 lead, Luukkonen couldn’t come up with the save his team needed.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
In the spring of 2024, another photo, the last, showed him in pretty much the same outfit somewhere on the streets of Santa Fe, clinging to Betsy’s arm.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Peterson led the way, scoring 26 points — 24 before halftime — and grabbing four rebounds.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As travelers crave experiences over ordinary stays, hotels that have transformed grim to glam are now embracing their bizarre and sometimes haunted histories, even hosting weddings and wellness retreats.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
ProSieben wasn’t the only European media giant embracing change this week, as Tatxo Benet exited his CEO and chairman role at Spanish production giant Mediapro after 25 years.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugging. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share