1
as in to congratulate
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 to clasp
to put one's arms around and press tightly
Grandma hugged the grandchildren good-bye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hug
Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Siblings and Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy and Sarah Levy hug it out at the Big Mistakes tastemaker event in Los Angeles on March 30.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
June is highlighted by a stop on the 30th Anniversary tour of the indelible Thievery Corporation (June 7), rambunctious rock/jam troupe Dogs in a Pile (June 5) and the warm-hug indie folk rock embrace of Blind Pilot and John Craigie (June 20).
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Verb
Stroll or bike the roughly 22-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path, offering up-close views of the Gilded Age estates and modern abodes that hug the water.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Siblings and Schitt's Creek stars Dan Levy and Sarah Levy hug it out at the Big Mistakes tastemaker event in Los Angeles on March 30.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
His father, Josh, who taught him to shoot, reminded him of that before their postgame hug.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
June is highlighted by a stop on the 30th Anniversary tour of the indelible Thievery Corporation (June 7), rambunctious rock/jam troupe Dogs in a Pile (June 5) and the warm-hug indie folk rock embrace of Blind Pilot and John Craigie (June 20).
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hug
Verb
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In a statement on Monday, Johnson congratulated King on landing the gig.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Tiafoe has been one of Baptiste’s biggest fans and congratulates her often on social media.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The june bug falls to the bottom of the bag but manages to recover from a new round of kicking by clasping to a leaf.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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Since 2018, the Day4Empathy reinforces Ebert’s embrace of the universal principles of empathy, humility, compassion and paying acts of kindness forward, Chaz Ebert said.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Bondi's public embrace of the president, however, marked a sharp departure from her predecessors, who generally took pains to maintain an arm's-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At their initial meeting, Ejection clung to the conviction that Chalker was a Mossad operative trying to lure him to his death.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Many are still processing the loss while clinging on to Coleman's memory.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Javier Sanoja lined a double over the head of left fielder Jake McCarthy, who missed making the grab by inches.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
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The only question now is the final tally of Donald’s victims, mostly civilians and children, when his Middle East power grab from indiscriminate carpet-bombing comes to an end.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now a new generation can cradle their own.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
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Cushion Valuables When Moving There's nothing better to cradle your breakable goods when moving or packing items for storage than a pillow.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hug. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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