CLUNG (TO) Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

clung (to)

verb

Definition of clung (to)

past tense of cling (to)

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clung (to)

Verb

Kid Cudi defended his decision to perform with his longtime friend and controversial musician, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), after some fans and critics expressed disappointment.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
Bass defended her proposal to cut the climate office amid the budget crunch, which the City Council rejected.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of defended

Verb

As the recording played, with Davis recounting seeing the ambulance that was carrying the rapper, Shakur’s sister clenched her left hand against her mouth.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Clad in the world champion’s rainbows, Evenepoel clenched both his fists, beamed a toothy grin, and hugged his soigneur.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of clenched

Verb

Video the department shared on social media showed firefighters standing atop a mound of garbage in the street as paramedics stood by with a gurney.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Milwaukee police officials have stood by the technology's effectiveness, despite months of criticism and two officers facing criminal charges for misuse of the system.

— David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stood by

Verb

And there Marcia was, slumped on the banquette, the plastic glass still gripped in her hand, her eyes rolled back.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
An immigrant of Indian descent who had moved to New York from Guyana, he was gripped by fear as an anti-Middle Eastern sentiment took hold in the wake of the attacks.

— USA TODAY staff, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of gripped

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

Definition of held

Verb

Oliver grabbed a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to seven in just four games after four against Leeds United the previous week.

— Rob Tanner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
At 4 o’clock on a Thursday morning, Salomon Olea grabbed a packed lunch of a ham-and- cheese torta and a white peach, kissed his wife goodbye and left the home in Escondido he’s owned for nearly 30 years.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabbed

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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clung

clung (to)

clunk

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“Clung (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clung%20%28to%29. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clung (to)

verb

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