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
This small island in the Mediterranean is one of the closest to North Africa and has been a hotbed of conflict, colonization and military maneuvers during the war.
—
Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Even the more populated hotbeds like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York/New Jersey are left with very few opportunities for burgeoning pipelines of rising talent.
—Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 10 July 2025
President Donald Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.
—Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
President Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.
—Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotbed
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Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Even the more populated hotbeds like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York/New Jersey are left with very few opportunities for burgeoning pipelines of rising talent.
—Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 10 July 2025
President Donald Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.
—Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
President Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.
—Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 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 29 Jul. 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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