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bear hug

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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

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bear hug in a sentence

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
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