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
-
In her post, Audrey and her little one can be seen snuggling up together, with her baby boy clutching her finger.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Ginsberg took the stage, clutching his typewritten pages.—
Gerard DeGroot,
Air Mail,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s measured by gripping a handheld dynamometer.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The satire on higher education is rich, yet the larger themes about one’s purpose and ideas are gripping.—
AudioFile Magazine
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To him, the equipment staff shuffling pieces around on the field during practice is just as important as the head coach standing by.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Aimee Lou Wood is standing by her decision to call out Saturday Night Live for a sketch that poked fun at her teeth, comparing the moment to confronting a bully as a child.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Patriots' defense has been solid, holding opponents to under 100 rushing yards in each of their first three games, but the offense must improve to support the defense.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
This annoyed Potter, who felt holding talks in such a public place was an amateurish move.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In the footage, a uniformed officer is seen forcibly grabbing the female passenger’s arm and yanking her towards the aisle.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Go out there and jump and grabbing balls out of the air.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The team went to the Eastern Conference finals last season after unexpectedly knocking off the defending world champion Boston Celtics in the second round before falling to the Indiana Pacers.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The pop singer and humanitarian Sting has likewise spoken out about this concept in the past when defending his performance in Uzbekistan in 2009.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
30 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 4 Oct. 2025.
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