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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In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026 -
Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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There has been a lot of pearl-clutching concern among both liberals and conservatives about New York City’s future — and the nation’s — with socialist Mayor Mamdani.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Another, from 2009, is dominated by the profile of what appears to be a guard dog gripping a black hunk of something unidentifiable.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri is passing up shots and sometimes looks uncomfortable gripping his stick right now.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump is standing by the leadership of the Secret Service and the president personally thinks agents did an excellent job neutralizing the shooter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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The mom-to-be smiled down at her husband in one photo, and was pictured standing by herself outside in a few others.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stay open while holding practical boundaries.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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On the other side of the building, Ford City’s lone anchor store, JCPenney, is holding its going-out-of-business sale.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Other complaints had to do with the Puerto Rican rap star grabbing his crotch, and with two dancers who allegedly grabbed each other's breasts (which, if true, is a wild dance move).—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Particularly since the savings made in service-staff costs and brick-and-mortar bar space, not to mention the affordability of buying booze here in China's RMB currency, aren't that far off grabbing a can or bottle from a nearby 24-hour convenience store.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Just as significantly, Anunoby spent much of Tuesday night defending Jalen Johnson, the resurgent Hawks’ only All-Star, who finished with a modest 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Then Quentin Davie, the new coach of defending champion Hebron Christian and a close friend, called with an opportunity to join his staff.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
28 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 11 May. 2026.
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