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
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Over the past week, a highly speculative piece of financial fiction has gripped Wall Street.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026 -
Manufacturers often put small plastic studs on the soles of turf shoes, which grip the turf and prevent you from slipping on the field.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two years ago, Megan Selser was folding her 7-week-old infant’s clothes, clutching his fuzzy red head to her chest, when her phone rang.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
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Benedict is still all in with love, convincingly enough that Sophie sneaks back to her room, glowing and grinning, with the drawing of Our Cottage clutched in her hands.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Chinese speedskater leaped into the air, fists clenched, joy bursting from every pore.—
Rick Maese,
Washington Post,
19 Feb. 2026
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As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The number of serious settler attacks including shootings, arson and other violent crimes has increased sharply each year since far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spent his law career defending Jews who attacked Palestinians, became national security minister.—
AREF TUFAHA,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
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An Eagle Scout, trustworthy and loyal to the last, helped set the tone for the defending AFC West champs.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to the firm, the effort reflects sustained demand from naval and air warfighters for aircraft capable of holding targets at risk from extended distances, particularly across the vast air and maritime spaces of the Western Pacific.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Feb. 2026
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The measure holds employers accountable for policies that discourage the reporting of theft and that might result in retaliation against an employee who does report a crime.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neely tried to grab Belt-Stubblefield by the neck and take him to the ground, but the officer is the one who fell, according to the notice of claim.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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Melvin Trotter walked in and began rifling through the cash register, grabbing about $100 and some food stamps.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This comes as mosques and holy shrines have been important bases for the regime to spread the hardcore ideology its leaders stand by, which bans any kind of dance and music and scorns them as sins -- let alone tolerating them in public or at holy sites.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Last summer, Russia stood by powerlessly as US and Israeli war planes struck Iran, another key Russian Kremlin partner in the Middle East, targeting its nuclear facilities.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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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 2 Mar. 2026.
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