clinging

Definition of clingingnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of clinging Like all relationships, the one between writer and reader is changeable—and probably most writers cycle among attitudes rather than clinging to any single one. Literary Hub, 11 May 2026 Among those who showed up that morning were a woman who had come with her elderly father, a young Native American couple, a man in an addiction recovery program and a mother with a toddler clinging to her leg. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 11 May 2026 Namasenda appeared on the cover of 2021’s Unlimited Ammo as a femme fatale straight out of The Matrix, a leather catsuit clinging to her body. Walden Green, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026 The strange upside of high-profile rulings like Friday’s is a boost to Democratic messaging against the few swing-state centrist Republicans who are still clinging to House seats. Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 May 2026 Another shopper highlighted that the fabric has just the right amount of structure to drape well without sagging or clinging. Staff Author, Southern Living, 6 May 2026 My plastic fork sunk into the gelationus-like texture of the the meat clinging to the bones. Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026 By 1900, the Irish-speaking areas were a ragged patchwork of smallish standalone zones, clinging to the island’s western and southern shores. Big Think, 4 May 2026 Speaking at an event held at the Aloft Hotel in Doral, a hub for Venezuelan diaspora activism, Guanipa painted a bleak picture of conditions inside Venezuela and sharply criticized the country’s current leadership, accusing those in power of clinging to control despite widespread rejection. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinging
Verb
  • That rules out Virginia shifting its map to better favor Democrats in the upcoming midterms, Green said, but doesn’t bar them from starting the process over, adhering more closely to the rules, and changing the lines for future races.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
  • Harding’s caucus often has chastised Democrats for not adhering strictly to state budget limitations.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • So the Patriots as an organization have to realize this scarlet letter is sticking right now.
    Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
  • Their thinking was that numerous landing attempts would allow companies to wring out their technology and improve their chances of sticking the next landing.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Clinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging. Accessed 14 May. 2026.

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