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
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DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup challenging the leaders of Silicon Valley, posted a cluster of job openings for specialists in agentic artificial intelligence and other positions, as enthusiasm for the technology that can carry out tasks without human intervention grips China.—
Saritha Rai,
Bloomberg,
24 Mar. 2026
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The race begins with a rigorous climb up a mountain on skis fitted with a special fabric skin that grips the snow as the athletes sprint uphill.—
Rob Marciano,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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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Walter stands by his pledge, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Daisy stands by, literally helpless.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Featuring the show’s slogan over a sunny pop of color, this sturdy ceramic mug holds a generous 15 ounces of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and is your Immunity Idol against a dull routine.—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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According to Karen Wheeler-Hall, Rothe’s owner and CEO, the firm holds a portion of an $814 million contract to provide NASA with videography, photography and other multimedia services.—
Brandon Lingle,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This hearty dish grabs extra flavor from browning the pork chops very well in the skillet in order to produce a flavorful pan sauce with mustard and cream.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
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Think about how many times a day everyone in your household touches a light switch or grabs the remote.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her squid-ink flavor profile was one note, and her monkfish had a weirdly wet and spongy texture that Rhoda defends but that none of the judges can figure out.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
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The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which defends the LAPD in most civil lawsuits, generally does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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