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
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
Romania has also been a hotbed of sociopolitical protests.
—
Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
At that point, Detroit, Michigan was a hotbed for an array of diverse music, with the Motown sound set against that of rockers Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent as well as punk acts like Iggy Pop and The Stooges or the MC5.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
For decades Middle East Studies centers have been maligned as left-wing hotbeds that, in their critics’ view, are excessively hostile to Israel, overly friendly to Islam, and troublingly uninterested in terrorism.
—Lydia Kiesling, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
Republicans have repeatedly accused the school of being a hotbed of antisemitism because of protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
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Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
At that point, Detroit, Michigan was a hotbed for an array of diverse music, with the Motown sound set against that of rockers Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent as well as punk acts like Iggy Pop and The Stooges or the MC5.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
For decades Middle East Studies centers have been maligned as left-wing hotbeds that, in their critics’ view, are excessively hostile to Israel, overly friendly to Islam, and troublingly uninterested in terrorism.
—Lydia Kiesling, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
Republicans have repeatedly accused the school of being a hotbed of antisemitism because of protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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 innovation
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