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
-
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026 -
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As Joachim Trier stood on the Dolby Theatre stage, clutching Norway’s first Academy Award, the moment marked the culmination of a decades-long national project — built patiently, deliberately and with oil money turned into cultural capital.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
-
There was a scary moment in the second half when the Knights' John Bol fell to the floo r clutching his chest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My fingers were gripping her apron.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Authorities say the case highlights the alarming scale and deadly potential of the fentanyl crisis gripping communities across the country.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An ambulance and paramedics were also standing by at the hotel.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
One video of the arrest showed police officers standing by and seemingly creating a barrier between the arrest and several bystanders, some of whom are asking immigrant agents for their badge numbers.—
Mathew Miranda
Updated March 23,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both defenses did a good job, holding the game scoreless through 60 minutes.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The Tigers had their moments, holding leads both early and late — and fans were certainly excited throughout.—
Dominick Williams,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mark was fouled after grabbing the ensuing loose ball and made both free throws to ice the game, 77-71.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The video, filmed by Mortensen, appears to show Paul hitting, grabbing and throwing three barstools at him.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tech companies are used to defending their systems against hackers.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The debate sponsors released a joint statement on Friday defending their decision.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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
“Clinging (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging%20%28to%29. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
