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
-
Adapted from the Danish novels by Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit), the Netflix series is a gripping yarn about the yoke of guilt and the unwavering patience of redemption.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
30 May 2025 -
His gripped his white wine like a potion, delivering hope.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
This being Washington, the decorations featured an eagle in flight, but, unlike the eagle on the Executive Branch club’s insignia, this one clutched photos of Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, dressed in tuxedos.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
The oldest bag, a velvet clutch with a floral pattern, dates back to the end of the 1920s.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Certain SSRIs, SNRIs and tricyclic antidepressants have been linked with grinding and clenching the teeth, Schultz says.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
1 June 2025
-
No discomfort arises from keeping the mouth clenched on a snorkel mouthpiece, and often, this type of mask will not fog as readily.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
Alex Caruso, one of the team’s veterans, was a bench guy, until he was tasked with defending Nikola Jokić during the Thunder’s series against the Denver Nuggets, and did about as good a job as anyone has ever done of shutting Jokić down.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
-
In 1958, President Eisenhower invoked the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to Arkansas to enforce the Supreme Court’s decision ending racial segregation in schools, and to defend Black students against a violent mob.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
A number of the protesters held high the flags of South American countries like Mexico as the U.S. flag burned on the ground.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
-
The Angels held the third-worst batting average (.229) and fourth-worst on-base percentage (.301) in MLB a year ago.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Scott grabbed some pizza and returned to park her Subaru near the West Shore Market to wait for Serafini.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
-
Appeal To All Five Senses People still like going out, meeting others and grabbing coffee.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Most commentators and experts are focused on the extreme economic and geopolitical damage of the tariffs themselves, while GOP lawmakers stand by, happy to let Trump flagrantly sidestep a law Congress had written.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
-
When the economic storm eventually passes, the brands that stood by their customers during times of uncertainty will find those customers standing by them, creating a foundation for sustained growth that no competitor can easily replicate.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share