1
: a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of activity
Synonyms
Examples of hotbed in a Sentence
a hotbed of political unrest
prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British
Recent Examples on the Web
Miami became a hotbed of U.S. intelligence operations focused on Castro’s Cuba, replete with fleets of small ships and airplanes.
—
Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
California was part of this, but not a ringleader, essentially no more culpable than New York, Massachusetts or Illinois, all hotbeds of abolition.
—Thomas D. Elias, Orange County Register, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé is replying with other national myths: the U.S. as a cultural melting pot, a hotbed of innovation, a place whose future is more interesting than its past.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Expanding International Funding Opportunities Once a hotbed of endemic creativity and consumption, the Hong Kong industry increasingly sees its future in a collaborative ethos overseas.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
While summer camps like this are commonplace in hockey hotbeds such as Toronto, Minnesota and Boston, this setup is a first in South Florida.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Tesla is also facing its latest lawsuit over labor rights violations from former workers at the Fremont facility, which has been accused of being a hotbed of racist and sexist harassment.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
During Trump's political rise, Grand Rapids and surrounding Kent County have become a hotbed of activity, with the former president campaigning there many times, including as recently as last week.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
The county’s population swell has transformed the country road into a hotbed of residential development.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
California was part of this, but not a ringleader, essentially no more culpable than New York, Massachusetts or Illinois, all hotbeds of abolition.
—Thomas D. Elias, Orange County Register, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé is replying with other national myths: the U.S. as a cultural melting pot, a hotbed of innovation, a place whose future is more interesting than its past.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Expanding International Funding Opportunities Once a hotbed of endemic creativity and consumption, the Hong Kong industry increasingly sees its future in a collaborative ethos overseas.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
While summer camps like this are commonplace in hockey hotbeds such as Toronto, Minnesota and Boston, this setup is a first in South Florida.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
Tesla is also facing its latest lawsuit over labor rights violations from former workers at the Fremont facility, which has been accused of being a hotbed of racist and sexist harassment.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
During Trump's political rise, Grand Rapids and surrounding Kent County have become a hotbed of activity, with the former president campaigning there many times, including as recently as last week.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
The county’s population swell has transformed the country road into a hotbed of residential development.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hotbed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hotbed
noun
hot·bed
ˈhät-ˌbed 
1
: a heated bed of soil enclosed in glass and used for growing seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of crime
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