clung (to)

verb

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

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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)
  1. defended
  2. clenched
  3. stood by
  4. clutched
  5. gripped
  6. held
  7. grabbed
Verb
  • Back inside the ring, Brock Lesnar defended himself with a steel step, bludgeoning Oba Femi three times.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Buttery defended that decision, saying an employee operating a cruiser or unmarked car has no expectation of privacy.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of defended
Verb
  • 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
  • The White House Key Facts A rendering of the passport shared by the White House on Friday shows Trump presumably leaning over the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, alongside his signature and text from the Declaration of Independence.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of clenched
Verb
  • In emailed responses to ProPublica’s questions, Microsoft stood by its approach, saying its triaging decisions are based on a number of factors, including exploitability and the impact on customers.
    — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 29 July 2026
  • The Pentagon later pushed for more access, arguing the military should have access to AI systems for any lawful national security purpose while Anthropic stood by its safety rules.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of stood by
Verb
  • Throughout his wanderings, the uxorious Odysseus clings to a little doll figure, intended to represent his wife (like the spinning top clutched by Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Inception'); the real woman is barely more interesting.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • The German fell to the ground and clutched his right knee in pain, with Sinner coming over to check on his opponent before helping Zverev up off the grass.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 July 2026
Definition of clutched
Verb
  • In England, where half the country is gripped by drought, firefighters battled a wildfire on an east coast heath in Suffolk, near a nuclear power station that fire services said wasn’t threatened.
    — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
  • Blazes in touristic Mugla and Antalya and elsewhere raged overnight as hot weather and strong winds gripped the region.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 30 July 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
  • His teacher grabbed him and ran him bleeding down the halls, in circles, screaming through the school until help caught up.
    — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • Bryan Kohberger’s innocence claim and the smoky skies of Boise grabbed the attention the past two days.
    — Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 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.

Browse Nearby Words

clung
clung (to)
clunk
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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 3 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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