bear hug

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See synonyms for bear hug on Thesaurus.com

noun

a forcefully or heartily tight embrace.

Wrestling. a hold in which one contestant locks both arms around the other from the front in order to make the opponent fall backward.

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Origin of bear hug

First recorded in 1920–25

Words nearby bear hug

bearer, bearer bond, bear fruit, bear garden, bear grass, bear hug, bearing, bearing down, bearing-down pain, bearing pedestal, bearing pile

Other definitions for bear hug (2 of 2)

bear-hug

[ bair-huhg ]

/ ˈbɛərˌhʌg /

verb (used with object), bear-hugged, bear-hug·ging.

to greet with or hold in a bear hug: eager fans bear-hugging the victorious team.

Origin of bear-hug

First recorded in 1955–60

How to use bear hug in a sentence

Where many plush slippers tend to feel like clown shoes, these fit snugly, like a bear hug for your feet.
The Best At-Home Après Gear of 2022|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
Go big with a large massage chair that feels like a bear hug, or keep it simple with a heated massage recliner disguised as a typical piece of living room furniture.
Best massage chair: Take relaxation to a new level right in your living room|Irena Collaku|August 13, 2021|Popular-Science
One plaintiff, William Jarta Hall, says he was on Bladensburg Road NE on a fall afternoon in 2015 when Onoja pulled up on his bicycle, wrapped him in a bear hug and threw him down on the sidewalk.
These are the police misconduct lawsuits the public hears little about|Paul Schwartzman|December 25, 2020|Washington Post
“If Charleston harbor needs improvement, let the commerce of Charleston bear the burden,” he said.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He said, “I am breaking my heart over this story, and cannot bear to finish it.”
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once again he accused the West of being unfair to Russia, bringing back his favorite metaphor, the Russian bear.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe our dear bear should sit quietly, not chase piglets and just eat berries and honey.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Putin suggested that all the West wanted was to turn the Russian bear into “taxidermy.”
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug|Anna Nemtsova|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
The bear laughed and joined his companion, and the torpedo thundered away.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
This may be done by taking the humming tone and bringing to bear upon it a strong pressure of energy.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The bear watched him narrowly with its wicked little eyes, though it did not see fit to cease its paw-licking.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for bear hug

bear hug

noun

a wrestling hold in which the arms are locked tightly round an opponent's chest and arms

any similar tight embrace

commerce an approach to the board of one company by another to indicate that an offer is to be made for their shares

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bear hug

Origin of bear hug

Words nearby bear hug

Other definitions for bear hug (2 of 2)

Origin of bear-hug

Words related to bear hug

How to use bear hug in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bear hug