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
-
On April 23, LeCroy remembered, Crews caught a sinking liner, held his glove in the air, clenched his fist and screamed into his glove.—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
19 May 2026 -
Tuanzebe—born in Bunia, raised in Rochdale—is sprinting toward the corner flag, fists clenched at his waist, triumphant.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Her father ran onto the court to check on her as the American player clutched her injured ACL and meniscus.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
-
The bride clutched a casual bouquet of yellow and white cut flowers.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Alansari was gripped by the tournament and attended 23 games in total, including the final, while Alyafei treated his family to tickets.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
As the midnight adjournment deadline approached on the final night of Illinois’ 1988 spring legislative session, a sense of pressure gripped the Statehouse.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Throughout his campaign, Mellor has defended his record as a Marine veteran, ties to Flynn and his participation in the January 6, 2021 pro-Trump march that turned into a riot.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
The Knicks center is now 8-for-13 when defended by Wembanyama in the series.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
He's also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Spurs reserve Harrison Barnes accidentally collided with Brunson's right knee while falling to the floor, and the Knicks star immediately grabbed at the leg in apparent pain.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
For its part, Poland has stood by its commitments to the alliance.—
Thomas Nagorski,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
In an email sent to university leadership after the settlement was agreed, Mearns stood by his decision to fire Swierc.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 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
“Clung (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clung%20%28to%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
