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
  • Buc-ee's has defended the lawsuit as protective of its valuable trademark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Villarreal’s decision to sign Partey drew criticism in Spain, the UK and elsewhere, but president Fernando Roig defended the move.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 21 Aug. 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
  • When DeSantis clashed with House Republican leadership, Caruso stood by him, casting the lone Republican vote against a legislative immigration enforcement package that conflicted with the governor’s agenda.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • More than once, his white planter friends stood by him in court and kept him from unjust imprisonment and even execution.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stood by
Verb
  • Erblin Ademi clutched the photo of his father holding him as a little boy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of clutched
Verb
  • The case has gripped television and online trial watchers after several witnesses testified that Clancy was a good and devoted mother for years before her mental health deteriorated after giving birth to her third child.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • More than a month after news of the stabbings in the small college town gripped the nation, Kohberger, then a PhD student of criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 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
  • Clark then went back to his golf bag, grabbed another iron, and placed it behind the ball.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The one that has grabbed most of the headlines is its pull back from LIV.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 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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Cite this Entry

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

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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