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
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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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Harry clutching a red-hot doorknob, Marv taking a paint can to the face — right up to the gruesome sound effect, then had the music stand down for the sizzling or thwacking payoff.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025 -
Some are fantastical – think Shrimp Jesus – and some are believable at a quick glance – remember the little girl clutching a puppy in a boat during a flood?—
Adam Nemeroff,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More Yankees/Getty Images Manager John Schneider confirmed that the Yankees had picked up on a tell when Scherzer was gripping his changeup with runners on base.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Marswalker has rugged wheels in each corner for gripping the steps, as well as a long antenna to sense angles and heights.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The video opens with one of the friends standing by the bed.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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From Shakespearean comedies to Disney fairy tales, the sign of a life well lived is so often a woman standing by a man, vowing to obey and sealed with wedding bells.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For every person holding the statue, there are four or five who came close and didn’t.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The extra point was good but there was a holding penalty on the Rebels.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After grabbing an early lead Friday evening, the Royals were unable to match their hosts’ prolific offense on Friday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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The owner squeezed her hands into the mix of kittens, moving the babies and grabbing the one that did not belong, which turned out to be a tiny mouse.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That means rejecting attempts to restrict voting access, defending safe and accessible election systems, and demanding that lawmakers champion pro-voter policies that expand access—like automatic voter registration and nationwide early voting.—
Hannah Fried,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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Its once press-shy board chair, Robyn Denholm, has been making the rounds over the past week, defending the up-to-$1 trillion pay package awarded to the billionaire CEO.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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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 18 Sep. 2025.
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