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
-
Martin Short clutches his laptop walking onto set for Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026 -
Mispelys Salazar clutches a stack of papers close to her chest as bristling wind gusts threaten to send them flying into the air.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The community held a candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy Guthrie's safe return as the baffling case grips the nation.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 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
-
Walter stands by his pledge, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Daisy stands by, literally helpless.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Weatherspoon holds offers from mid-majors such as Buffalo, High Point University, Northern Colorado and UTEP.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Players can choose whether to throw the stone alone or with a teammate who holds the wheelchair steady.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Barber then grabs her firearm from her vehicle and Riley's girlfriend also retrieves an item from the vehicle, according to the complaint.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Preckwinkle, a former history teacher, typically defends her record like the head of a classroom, emphasizing context, flipping through prepared statements, and often tersely making her case or deferring to deputies with expertise.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
But while the controversy has reignited debates about whether corridos glorify crime, JOP defends the tradition.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Clings (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clings%20%28to%29. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
