1
as in keeps (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 clutches
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 clings (to)
Verb
-
Lemann, like the talkative older ladies of her youth, clutches the motifs of her past like talismans.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026 -
Martin Short clutches his laptop walking onto set for Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In one example, the robot grips a can sideways, a simple mistake that could lead to spills, showing that human-like understanding remains limited.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Fast forward to today and those fears have materialized with dizzying speed as a historic oil and gas crisis sparked by the US and Israel’s war with Iran grips the world.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch.—
Mustafa Fattah,
NBC news,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Her very reliable and efficient assistant Eunice (Seoyeon Jang) stands by her side but curries the jealous attention of unstable Ashley.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Walter stands by his pledge, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the most rewarding aspect of Apex, which was directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Jeremy Robbins, is the degree to which Ben’s thesis holds true for Sasha as well.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Rudin holds degrees in English and American literature from Princeton University and Columbia University.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ebuehi starts to drive away as the officer reaches out and grabs Ebuehi and the scooter.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The zookeeper grabs him and delivers the line of the year.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Matriarchy is a force that protects and defends, a force blunted and downgraded at every turn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
This support among white Christian voters has held since the 2024 election, with two-thirds of white evangelicals saying Trump defends people with religious beliefs similar to theirs, according to a Pew poll released Thursday.—
Sarah Davis,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clings (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clings%20%28to%29. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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