bear hug

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I've posted it on social media and it shows me going over to give him a bear hug, but it is him who ends up lifting me off the ground.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Yvonne Carvalho, a 5-foot dynamo with oversize black glasses and purple MAC lipstick, greeted the nurse anesthesiologist with a bear hug and questions about her dating life and her daughter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

And it imbues the foodstuffs, home goods, clothes, paraphernalia and tchotchkes that hail from here with a sort of unquantifiable, ineffable, sun-kissed, surf-adjacent vibe that wraps around you like a cartoon bear hug.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

Another leader, Evelyn Santiago, wrapped her in a bear hug and steered her to a table overflowing with snacks and art supplies.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2024

He locked Roy in a fierce bear hug that emptied the air from Roy’s lungs like an accordion.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen