1
as in kept (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 clenched
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 clung (to)
Verb
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The Chinese speedskater leaped into the air, fists clenched, joy bursting from every pore.—
Rick Maese,
Washington Post,
19 Feb. 2026 -
My stomach clenched with worry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An elderly, white-bearded man clutched a walking staff, like an urban Gandalf, disseminating wise vibes.—
Brian Barth,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Benedict is still all in with love, convincingly enough that Sophie sneaks back to her room, glowing and grinning, with the drawing of Our Cottage clutched in her hands.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The chaos that has gripped the oil market looks set to deepen, with more production getting cut as the war in Iran effectively shuts the Strait of Hormuz, and the US considers widening its range of targets in the country.—
Yongchang Chin,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Worries about the war have sidelined other concerns that had gripped the market in recent weeks around private credit risks and the disruptive — potentially disinflationary — impact of artificial intelligence.—
Michael MacKenzie,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Perhaps no voice within MAGA has defended the president and the Iran strikes more aggressively than Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who, while having her own history of criticizing the administration, has become the movement's most visible counterweight to the growing dissent.—
Will Steakin,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Following his Oscars victory, the filmmaker defended using the slur in the press room at the awards ceremony.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tiller also made an impact as a rim protector and grabbed four offensive rebounds.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
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Ricks grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began to stab Sanchez multiple times, court records showed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has also stood by Burton’s conviction and death sentence and opposed several appeals by the inmate’s legal team.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
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Kahan stood by her, posting an Instagram screenshot of an article recounting the incident and later a video sharing his support.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Clung (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clung%20%28to%29. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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