CLEAVING Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

cleaving

verb

present participle of cleave

as in adhering

to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion you should resolutely cleave to the facts in your report

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Recent Examples of cleaving In both cases, the protein structure was known, as were the key amino acids that catalyze cleaving other proteins. — ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 It can be made cleanly by cleaving the hydrogen out of water using clean electricity. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Imagine a termite carving a path like a jumbled ball of string through a tree trunk, instead of an axe cleaving a single vector. — New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026 Daemon struggles to his feet, dazed, and begins cleaving his way through the smouldering city. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 By the time Lincoln was elected president in 1860, slavery was already cleaving the country. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Something like cleaving a payroll system in three has to be done flawlessly, for example, so staff still get paid on time. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 12 June 2026 Inequality is cleaving the haves and the have-nots. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026 The shakeup in Kraft Heinz’s senior ranks is an initial step in CEO Steve Cahillane’s ambitious plan to turn around the company, instead of cleaving its top-performing condiments and boxed meals apart from its lower-growth grocery staples. — Kristina Peterson, Bloomberg, 18 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaving

Verb

Repeat guests begin wrapping their feet with tape and adhering gel pads to prevent blisters.

— Johanna Wolfe, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.

— H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026

Definition of adhering

Verb

Mykola Murskyj, senior adviser on policy and strategy at the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine, told the Washington Examiner that Zelensky isn’t just arbitrarily clinging to power — the entire country is wary of voting during wartime.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Rescues were reported in multiple counties on Saturday, including people found in floodwaters, clinging to a piece of a dock along the Freedom Trail Greenway in Burke County, officials say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of clinging

Verb

The day rewards curiosity more than sticking stubbornly to the original plan.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
The priority the remainder of the year must be personnel evaluation, so sticking a full 17 games with Austin Jackson - who seems unlikely to be back next season - would be denying the front office and coaching staff a chance to see other players.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026