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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Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026 -
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
Verb
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Dozens of women in hijabs and men in clutching paper cups stood inside Turath Coffee, 9916 College Blvd.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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After a January morning skate at the San Jose Sharks practice facility, dozens of bustling young fans — clutching hockey cards, action shots, team jerseys and hats — crowded near an exit, hoping for a brief interaction.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Anthony, who went 2 for 5 with two runs scored in the loss, said there isn’t an injury impacting his throwing, and Cora and Anthony chalked up it more to a mechanical issue gripping the baseball than anything else.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
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Economic pressures are gripping Americans across the country, but Maryland stands out as a uniquely unaffordable state — in large part due to a complete lack of executive commitment to keep the state affordable and economically prosperous.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yesterday, Melvin Benn, the boss of Wireless parent Festival Republic, released a statement standing by the booking and advocating for forgiveness of Ye.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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Attorneys for the officers and probation union officials said the prosecutions were an overreaction to a video — first published by The Times in 2024 — that showed officers standing by as several youths pummeled a fellow inmate at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance footage showed Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Pineda getting out of their vehicle wearing masks and holding guns, according to court documents.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Huskies were also dominated on the glass, with South Carolina holding a 47-32 advantage.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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The victim listed in the police records later told police about two incidents of physical assault, including grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking, according to the documents.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every Tuesday of tournament week, the defending champion chooses the menu for his fellow champions, and the lore of the occasion continues to grow.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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The biggest name in the portal going to the defending national champions?—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 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 8 Apr. 2026.
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