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
-
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Davis landed awkwardly and began clutching at his lower body.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
-
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rolling Stone has the exclusive trailer, offering a sneak peek into this gripping tale of a quiet community turned upside down and put under a microscope.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By designing two complementary layers—a tunable optical active layer and a mechanically distinct passive layer—the team created modular actuators capable of diverse motions, from directional movement to secure object gripping.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The continent that invented and spun out the internet from its first-class research institutions now risks standing by as US founders scale with ease.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
By that third one, Fuller says, Maggie Murdaugh is not just standing by her man.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But when Ronnie set the theater's copy of The Music Man in motion on the projector, Matty appeared on screen holding what looked like a baby swaddled in a blanket.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
-
In photos obtained by the outlet, the pair could be seen walking out of the theater while holding hands and smiling.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Peterson led the way, scoring 26 points — 24 before halftime — and grabbing four rebounds.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former president has bristled at the suggestion that his administration abused the autopen, defending himself in a July 13 New York Times interview.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
On Monday night when the Mavs hosted the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center, his age showed.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Oct. 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
“Clinging (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging%20%28to%29. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share