cling (to)

verb

Definition of cling (to)next
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

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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)
  1. defend
  2. grip
  3. hold to
  4. clutch
  5. stand by
  6. clench
  7. hold
  8. grab
Verb
  • Amid the backlash, the White House has defended the television spots as public service announcements meant to educate voters and promote patriotism.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In an earlier statement to TMZ, Seaver defended his messages to Nozell, saying they had been taken out of context.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of defend
Verb
  • Paris — Students fought running battles with police and several schools were ablaze Friday as a new day of violence gripped France with no end in sight to protests that have rocked the country.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Secondly, as markets remain gripped by concerns around long-term public debt and fiscal sustainability globally, Gower acknowledged that higher bond yields remain a challenge for non-yielding assets like gold.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of grip
Verb
  • Reese, Naz Hilman and Madina Okot were held to 28 points combined with Okot scoring 16 – mostly in the fourth quarter.
    — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
  • After scoring 14 runs to begin this four-game series, the Royals have been held to just five runs in their last 18 innings.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026
Definition of hold to
Verb
  • Wednesday, after beating the Houston Astros 7-3 to advance to the American League Division Series, Venable was standing inside a raucous clubhouse clutching a bottle of La Marca Prosecco.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hall came to our interview clutching receipts in the shape of two new labels led by the producers behind Strike and The Detection Club, along with early-stage plans for a label that will focus on digital spin-offs of existing brands.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of clutch
Verb
  • However, some conservatives who were dismayed by the message stood by Hilton’s side.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • While some friends in the business quietly stood by me, most of them were gone.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stand by
Verb
  • Anyone who’s seen a movie before will know to clench at Nelson’s close attention to such random and innocent people.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
  • This can lead women to clench their jaws or pelvic muscles, or grind their teeth.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of clench
Verb
  • Elections for mayors and city councilors are also held every four years, but in different years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • However, each side holds that the Yemeni civil war has now entered a new phase from which neither side looks eager to extricate itself.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hold
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or, just head down to one of the bars by the pool or grab a fresh juice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
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

clings (to)
cling (to)
clingy
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Cite this Entry

“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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