HUGGING Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

hugging

verb

present participle of hug

as in congratulating

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

as in clasping

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hugging The women wore maroon unitards with subtle puffed sleeves, while Danchig-Waring’s tank unitard featured two faces in profile, each hugging a side of his waist. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 The camera then panned to the Arrowhead Stadium suite where Swift, 36, was watching her husband, 37, and she could be seen hugging Este Haim during the exciting moment. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026 Kardashian has been a longtime fan of statement-making shoes, often balancing her figure-hugging clothing choices with bold platform heels. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Schwarzenegger and Newsom piled praise upon each other during the Wednesday afternoon discussion, hugging at the end. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Videos circulated on the internet show two young men escorting the robot toward a group of women, bumping into one and hugging others, on a lively nighttime street. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 The fact that shoes are getting slimmer and slimmer may feel somewhat new, but the sole-hugging footwear is actually just a continuation of a popular style from the ’90s. — Renata Joffre, Glamour, 9 Oct. 2026 The quartier is extremely walkable, safe, and relatively easy to navigate, hugging both sides of the port with tiny alleys. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Trinity managed to capture the proposal moment, and the happy couple hugging and kissing afterward. — Kati Weis, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hugging

Verb

How Mana got his start A young man walking on Flagler recognized Mana and stopped to shake his hand, congratulating him on the recent billion-dollar sale in Wynwood.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Please join me in congratulating Kayleen and welcoming Maria to XBOX!

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of congratulating

Verb

The upshot of this is that George, who works the room in a sharp gray suit, a few tattoos peeking out, has plenty of opportunities to charismatically make things right, shaking hands and clasping shoulders and sending over lull-filling drinks.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
But if the awards season goes as the streamer plans, a journey that began in Cannes with a rapturous standing ovation, could end with Los Javis clasping some golden statues.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of clasping

Verb

The patent-pending fabric technology delivers the comfort and insulation of traditional sherpa while actively repelling hay, straw, mulch and grass from clinging to the high-pile fleece.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Liberty was clinging to that pledge, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound do-everything playmaker flipped his commitment to Georgia this weekend.

— Jeff Sentell, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of clinging

Verb

Over recent years, ambitious and headline-grabbing solutions to transportation problems have been unveiled in South Florida, from vertical jet ports to autonomous vehicles.

— Sofia Zarran, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Bailey kicked off the Lakers’ opening night by matching her powerful voice with an equally attention-grabbing shoe.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

Yet, Wealth Briefing Asia notes that regulatory and reporting challenges often stop family offices from fully embracing crypto assets.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
And fanfic adaptations aren’t just capturing attention in the film industry; fanfic is also a promotional tool, with films that have nothing to do with fanfic embracing it.

— Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of embracing

Browse Nearby Words

hugger-mugger

hugging

hugs

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Style

“Hugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hugging. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hugging

verb

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