clung (to)

Definition of clung (to)next
past tense of cling (to)
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clung (to)
Verb
  • So far, Milei has defended his Cabinet chief, even as the scandal damaged his government’s public image, constrained his political leverage in negotiations with allies and undermined his communication about spending cuts to Argentines scraping by on salaries that increasingly fall behind inflation.
    Clara Preve, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • Legal counsel for the Department of Homeland Security defended the administration's actions, citing the long-standing effort to terminate the program.
    Joan Murray, CBS News, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • As the ball landed safely on the other side of the left field fence at Nationals Park on Monday, Dylan Crews clenched his fists and let out a scream.
    Danielle Allentuck, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
  • An accompanying photograph shows Glimcher holding the viewer’s gaze, his right hand outstretched on the desk, clenched in a tight fist.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The music star's support of Kelce at this year's event comes less than two weeks after Kelce stood by Swift's side as she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in New York City on June 11.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, Aaron Boone stood by with the same type of facial expression a father makes when their kid does something foolish.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Women clutched photographs of sons and brothers killed in the war — many of them fighting for Hezbollah — while others held photographs of Nasrallah or Iran’s Khamenei.
    Fadi Tawil, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Eitan, 3, clutched a dinosaur while his older brother, Abel, 6, held a bright orange fox clad in a rainbow long-sleeve shirt.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Much of the wider region — Nevada, Colorado and beyond — has been gripped by widespread drought after an unusually dry winter.
    Willem Marx, NPR, 28 June 2026
  • With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 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
  • This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
  • Her mother asked what had just happened, and the girl related that Spencer had grabbed her.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 25 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.

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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 29 Jun. 2026.

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