Synonyms of clinging

clinging

verb

present participle of cling

as in adhering

to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion

a dozen magnets clinging to the refrigerator

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adhering
• sticking
• gluing
• cleaving
• hewing
• binding
• uniting
• fusing
• fastening
• cohering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• falling
• loosening
• dropping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of clinging

The five survivors were found late Saturday afloat, clinging to a fish trap belonging to a local fisherman, Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the Makassar Search and Rescue Office, said in a statement. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Both pieces have a relaxed, oversized fit that keeps them from clinging in the humidity and can easily be styled with other pieces in your wardrobe. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Its effortlessly drapey silhouette skims the body without clinging, while the high neckline lends a polished, sophisticated touch that’s easy to dress up or down. — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026

Deputies learned that a sailboat capsized in the water and three people were clinging to the side of the vessel. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Jarvis also turned a crucial 6-3 double play in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Braves clinging to a one-run lead after having been ahead by four earlier. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 9 July 2026

Holden’s clinging to purity isn’t only about wanting to turn back time, though. — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Brands that embrace these principles, like Coleman and Kraft, can turn challenges into opportunities for building trust and loyalty, while those clinging to outdated playbooks risk losing control of their narrative entirely. — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Traditionalism, or clinging to it, is already a political category. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 28 June 2026