BELAYING Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

belaying

verb

present participle of belay

as in fastening

to attach (a rope) to something so that it is secure The climber belayed the rope.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belaying

Verb

If your duvet cover has buttons or zippers, Ceconi recommends fastening the closures before laundering to prevent tangling.

— Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
The vest inflates by pulling it through your kid’s arms and fastening the belt.

— Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of fastening

Verb

One of the two men accused of zip-tying and holding hostage two national forest employees last week had a violent criminal charge dismissed because of overcrowding in the state’s mental health facilities, a Washington prosecutor said.

— Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 21 July 2026
Just a fraction of an inch can separate a player from hitting a flyball to left field and, say, tying a franchise record for career home runs.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026

Definition of tying

Verb

Leandro Trossard — Belgium/Arsenal (+11) Went from arguing with captain Youri Tielemans during the second hydration break against Senegal to clipping the ball onto his head for a dramatic equaliser that sent the match to extra time.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Ninety-five-year-old Warren Buffett is famous for clipping coupons and living in a modest Nebraska house, despite having $146 billion to his name.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Definition of clipping

Verb

After clinching a 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16, the Norwegian soccer star celebrated with his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, and his family.

— Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Spain got its marquee offense from Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad captain who doubled his goal total at this year's World Cup by opening the scoring in the 36th minute and clinching the victory in the 89th.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of clinching

Verb

While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues.

— Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 22 May 2026
The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2026

Definition of clenching

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.

Browse Nearby Words

belayed

belaying

belays

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Belaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belaying. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of belaying

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

stalwart

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes