cleave to
phrasal verb
cleaved to; cleaved to; cleaving to; cleaves to
formal + literary
1
: to stay very close to (someone)
children cleaving to their families
2
: to stick closely to (something)
—usually used figuratively
He continued to cleave to the beliefs of his childhood.
Examples of cleave to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
France, like Germany, cleaved to the antagonistic NATO line on Russia.
—
Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
Their predictions may yet come true — and economists are largely cleaving to their bets.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Any demands that cleave to Russia's previous peace plans, which have been repeatedly refused by Kyiv, would essentially amount to Kyiv’s surrender.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 27 May 2025
Full details of the bill have not yet been published, but it is expected to be similar to one proposed in the House of Lords earlier this year, which cleaved to the Oregon model: terminally ill adults with six months or less to live would be able to get medical help to end their lives.
—The Week, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
Apparently, that applies to his taste in homes, too, as the 56-year-old just hoisted his modern residence that’s cleaved to a steep hillside in the Elysian Heights area of L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood onto the market for $2.49 million.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2024
So, who did Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) cleave to in real life?
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024
Even mentioning Palestine can be a provocation to those who cleave to the myth of Israel as the only possible Jewish sanctuary.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
Most people are still cleaving to Trump like Tiberian bats in a cave.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
Their predictions may yet come true — and economists are largely cleaving to their bets.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Any demands that cleave to Russia's previous peace plans, which have been repeatedly refused by Kyiv, would essentially amount to Kyiv’s surrender.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 27 May 2025
Full details of the bill have not yet been published, but it is expected to be similar to one proposed in the House of Lords earlier this year, which cleaved to the Oregon model: terminally ill adults with six months or less to live would be able to get medical help to end their lives.
—The Week, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
Apparently, that applies to his taste in homes, too, as the 56-year-old just hoisted his modern residence that’s cleaved to a steep hillside in the Elysian Heights area of L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood onto the market for $2.49 million.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2024
So, who did Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) cleave to in real life?
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024
Even mentioning Palestine can be a provocation to those who cleave to the myth of Israel as the only possible Jewish sanctuary.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
Most people are still cleaving to Trump like Tiberian bats in a cave.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cleave to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleave%20to. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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