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

Trump is leaning into transactional politics by tying his administration directly to economic benefits in states that could determine control of Congress.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Other fans criticized Clark for celebrating at a concert only hours after missing a potential game-tying shot in Indiana’s loss.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of tying

Verb

The sequence stylistically excises itself from the episode as though clipping it, anticipating its excision from the show when uploaded to a video-sharing platform.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Decades later, a relative sent Dottie a newspaper clipping about the Foster study, which included an archival photo of her grandmother.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of clipping

Verb

The collection includes the clubhouse shirt players wore after clinching the NL East, on-field hats featuring the postseason patch and items such as pennants, pins, magnets, keychains and baseballs.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
One day after clinching the AL Central title, the Guardians fielded a makeshift lineup missing several regulars.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of clinching

Verb

Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.

— Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice.

— Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 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 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of belaying

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

etiquette

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes