1
as in keeping (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 clenching
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 clinging (to)
Verb
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While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues.—
Nicole Bennett,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026 -
The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Marie-Paule had straight blond hair, cut in a bob with a clip on one side, and was clutching a miniature schoolbag.—
Annie Ernaux,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Martin, clutching a gun in his left hand, pulled the weapon behind his left leg.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Footage released by Xinhua shows humanoid robots gripping parcels from containers and placing them onto sorting lines, while autonomous forklifts transport loads through the warehouse floor.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
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The deadly heat wave gripping northwest Europe is set to intensify in Spain and France, lifting power demand for cooling and threatening fresh temperature records.—
Joe Wertz,
Bloomberg,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The Hurricane Hunter fleet is standing by to be deployed this season if any storms approach the United States.—
Scott Withers,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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The Andic family is standing by him.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Wembanyama finished Game 6 with 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The Spurs knocked off the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals en route to their first finals appearance since winning the title in 2014.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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In the first trailer for Adam Wingard’s Onslaught, Adria Arjona plays a young mother and veteran defending her adorable child and trailer park community from an army of what appear to be glowing-eyed super-soldiers built like pro wrestlers.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clinging (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging%20%28to%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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