1
as in congratulates
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 clasps
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 hugs
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The twins’ mother, Trish Garbuzovas hugs her daughters after the championship event.
—Jason Getz, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Made from a soft and stretchy cotton blend, the pair hugs in all the right places and works wonders in the butt-lifting department.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The Lake County portion hugs the shoreline south to Lake Cook Road, and continues west to the eastern part of Buffalo Grove.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Mikaela Shiffrin hugs her father Jeff after a long day, at Piney Lake on July 15, 2013.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
And, the wand is just as genius as the formula, with a super-slim, flexible design that hugs every single lash from corner to corner.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 15 Feb. 2026
The design hugs the ankle before relaxing into a gentle slouch through the leg.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Rami Essam Abu Jamea hugs his deceased daughter, one of two who were killed in an Israeli strike.
—Ammar Cheikh Omar, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
The district hugs a square mile, from Sixth to 23rd streets, from Ocean Drive on the Atlantic Ocean to Lenox Court near Biscayne Bay.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The twins’ mother, Trish Garbuzovas hugs her daughters after the championship event.
—Jason Getz, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Made from a soft and stretchy cotton blend, the pair hugs in all the right places and works wonders in the butt-lifting department.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The Lake County portion hugs the shoreline south to Lake Cook Road, and continues west to the eastern part of Buffalo Grove.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Mikaela Shiffrin hugs her father Jeff after a long day, at Piney Lake on July 15, 2013.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
And, the wand is just as genius as the formula, with a super-slim, flexible design that hugs every single lash from corner to corner.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 15 Feb. 2026
The design hugs the ankle before relaxing into a gentle slouch through the leg.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Rami Essam Abu Jamea hugs his deceased daughter, one of two who were killed in an Israeli strike.
—Ammar Cheikh Omar, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugs
Verb
-
But then the public address announcer congratulates Charlisse Leger-Walker for her four All-Pac-12 honors and her conference title with Washington State (which came at UCLA’s expense), and the whole ceremony starts to make less sense.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The rep excuses herself; in the hallway, Stephen congratulates Lucy.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lindo laughs, clasps his hands together and raises them.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Keeping that hardshell closed is a pair of wide, beefy aluminum latches with a lower swing arm that clasps to a closure bar via a pair of hooks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
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Some American viewers were pulled into it by a boring—and slightly embarrassing—poster of Harrison Ford, smirking in a suit, while a loyal Melanie Griffith clings to his shoulder and Sigourney Weaver, as befits her role of nemesis, gives a wicked smile.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There are vanishingly few districts that are genuinely up for grabs, and that means politicians from each party are increasingly insulated from public opinion and, therefore, from the effects of their policies.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
After this summer’s FIFA World Cup on Fox, the rights for the 2030 tournament are up for grabs.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brown embraces political outsider status Brown, 47, who also serves as Matteson village clerk, said she was propelled into politics when her son contracted an environmental illness tied to water quality that nearly took his life.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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That's the idea behind the Tecno Atom Moda Edition, a phone that embraces magnetic modularity.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugs. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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