adhere

as in to cling
to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion everyone started calling her "Cookie" when she was little and the name adhered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adhere contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of adhere are cleave, cling, cohere, and stick. While all these words mean "to become closely attached," adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

antibodies adhering to a virus

In what contexts can cleave take the place of adhere?

The synonyms cleave and adhere are sometimes interchangeable, but cleave stresses strength of attachment.

the wet shirt cleaved to his back

When might cling be a better fit than adhere?

In some situations, the words cling and adhere are roughly equivalent. However, cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

clinging to a capsized boat

When is cohere a more appropriate choice than adhere?

While in some cases nearly identical to adhere, cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

eggs will make the mixture cohere

When can stick be used instead of adhere?

The words stick and adhere can be used in similar contexts, but stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

couldn't get the label to stick

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adhere After evaluating 200 hospital patients participating in the King's College London Oral, Dental, and Craniofacial Biobank, researchers found that those adhering most closely to a Mediterranean diet had the lowest levels of gum disease. New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2025 Participants adhered well, spending 73 percent of the study in ketosis. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 To illustrate the absurdity of adhering too closely to genre conventions, Galloway describes a plot about an innocent girl who winds up in a strange town. Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025 As fiduciaries, trustees are charged with managing trust assets, making distributions according to the trust’s terms and adhering strictly to the grantor’s intent and the language in the trust agreement. Royce Ramey, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adhere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adhere
Verb
  • In the opening stretch, as young Pat fights the power, we’re touched by the actor’s boyishness, still clinging to him at fifty.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • In one video shared on social media, Monica Moreta-Galarza and her daughter are shown clinging tightly to their husband and father as he is being detained in a hallway of 26 Federal Plaza – the ICE district office in Lower Manhattan.
    Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Zandi isn’t alone in decrying how stuck the housing market has become.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
  • One attendee, who stuck in Linklater’s memory, was a philosophy major.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adhere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adhere. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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