Hi Mraz, a hug and an embrace are basically the same thing. They are when people put their arms around each other and squeeze each other to express affection. Embrace has a more romantic, formal feeling to it than hug, which can be used casually and platonically. Cuddles can mean almost any kind of physical contact meant to express affection, closeness, love. They can include hugs, holding each other when sleeping or watching tv, resting your head on someone's shoulder, etc. Hope this helps!