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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Prince Harry and Meghan hugged, twirled, dipped and danced across the frames taken during their first dance as a married couple, and the shots showed off new angles of her royal reception dress for the first time.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the finish, raising each other's arms in victory.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Hands clasped, head bowed, blank and fair of face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
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While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hugged. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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