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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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
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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
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The audio tour, narrated by former guards and inmates, is genuinely gripping for older kids.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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When Georgia Tech baseball coach James Ramsey came to watch Vahn Lackey play as a senior at Collins Hill, Lackey wasn’t gripping the bat correctly.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pottery Barn is standing by to support your soft life.—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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An ambulance and paramedics were also standing by at the hotel.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Temptations to overspend will surface, but the key is holding steady without being rigid.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Keller stymies defending champ Coppell Claire Garritson scored the game-winning goal in the second half and Keller hung on to beat defending state champion Coppell 2-1 in the Class 6A Division 1 Region 1 Final on Tuesday night at Keller High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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During the 2002 World Cup, fans across Africa celebrated Senegal’s upset victory over defending champion France, its former colonizer, as a symbol of liberation.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 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 2 Apr. 2026.
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