1
as in to keep (to)
to give steadfast support to
continued to cling to the old ideas of child rearing long after they had gone out of fashion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grip
to have or keep in one's hands
clung to a pole in the subway car to keep from falling as it lurched along
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cling (to)
Verb
-
When the off-duty flight attendant reached over to grip the bag, Reyes grabbed his head and began choking him, the affidavit states.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2026 -
The strapless neckline stays in place thanks to the elastic gripping tape along the bust.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
If the Knicks clutch victory, customers win a free meal and the bar collects over $13,000 from its Kalshi contract.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
Her father ran onto the court to check on her as the American player clutched her injured ACL and meniscus.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Essentially, just clench your butt cheeks.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
29 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The Spurs clinched their spot in the championship round after outlasting Oklahoma City, defeating the defending champs on the Thunder’s home floor in Game 7 on Saturday.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
CoreWeave has also had to defend its spending and debt load.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The championship match has been held west of the Mississippi River — in San Diego, Kansas City and San Jose — for the past three years.—
Bailey Johnson,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
-
Which is to say that Jerome both assembles the materials for great drama and holds itself back from igniting them.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Stop here for suggestions on the best nearby dog-friendly parks for your pup, to pick up breakfast vouchers, and to grab a list of participating local businesses that offer discounts to Hotel Lucia guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Rollins sneakily grabbed the title and put it near his abdomen.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In an email sent to university leadership after the settlement was agreed, Mearns stood by his decision to fire Swierc.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Democratic Majority for Israel, which spends to help pro-Israel candidates in party primaries, redirected a question about what was happening to stand by the practice of pro-Israel groups messaging on issues that are entirely domestic.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
