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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The couple hugged, burying their faces in each other’s shoulders.—
Justin Jouvenal,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
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Hurley immediately threw his hands into the air in disbelief, hugged assistant coach Mike Nardi and paced the sideline with his suit jacket half off and his jaw dropped.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Keyla ran around the stage in a black dress adorned with crosses, Richie and Palmer clasped their hands in excitement.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Sitting in a back room at ExtraMile Arena last weekend, Miller clasped hands with old teammate Steve Barrett, who helped pull him to his feet after an hourlong interview with the Statesman.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bear-hugged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear-hugged. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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