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
-
When Barbara Walters started interviewing celebrities on her prime time specials for ABC in the 1970s, pearl-clutching journalistic purists were aghast.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Among his favorite methods of doing so are sitting in audience members’ laps, singing along to ’80s hits, clutching a giant prop baby bottle and doing pistol squats.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My fingers were gripping her apron.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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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
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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
-
Iran's players sing the national anthem, holding school bags symbolizing children killed at a school in Minab, before a soccer match between Iran and Nigeria, in Antalya, Turkey, on March 27, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Temptations to overspend will surface, but the key is holding steady without being rigid.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Agents targeted grocery stores, churches, and construction sites, smashing car windows and pulling people from vehicles or grabbing them at a hardware store parking lot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tech companies are used to defending their systems against hackers.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
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The debate sponsors released a joint statement on Friday defending their decision.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 2026.
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