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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Lalay, a 15-foot crocodile, was not amused and spent half an hour thrashing around with the man’s leg clenched in her teeth, until the park owner clocked her over the head with a block of concrete to get her to let go.—
Kassondra Cloos,
Outside,
10 Sep. 2025 -
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
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The twenty-one-year-old is talking on the phone, and the ten-year-old is asleep on the sofa, her iPad clutched in her hands, her mouth slightly open.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is quite a breakthrough in the case, which gripped the nation and traumatized the city of Austin.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
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But Starmer gripped the American President close, anyhow.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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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This week, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson defended the decision to drop the case.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Many people hailed her audacious attempt, while others defended her for not wanting to leave the house.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In front of reporters, the agent grabbed the crying woman by the arms before shoving her to the wall and then downward.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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According to the complaint filed by detectives, Dials grabbed a handgun that belonged to Sean Perrin, 31, off the bedroom floor, placing it between the mattress and the wall before the two went to bed, the Dispatch reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the Journal Sentinel report was published, Berrien blasted the reporting and stood by his campaign.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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However, a handful of schools and colleges stood by their employees' right to freedom of speech while under pressure from right-wing politicians and personalities.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
25 Sep. 2025
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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 2 Oct. 2025.
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