as in hugged
to put one's arms around and press tightly
elated team members bear-hugging everyone in sight
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Recent Examples of bear-hugged
Running back Isaac Guerendo returned to practice Tuesday and twice ran into the line only to be bear-hugged by Warner, who followed orders and did not tackle to the ground.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear-hugged
Verb
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Star player Moisés Caicedo hugged and kissed his mother on the side of the pitch just before kick-off.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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His son hugged him, and Frazier grumbled with his team about what might have been.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Scott, attending a court hearing via video feed from Corcoran state prison, clasped his hands and thanked God and all involved with his release.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
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The dress, made of metal, was tightly sewn and clasped together, barely any leeway to walk in a decent stride.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hugged. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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