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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
  • Turkish officials have defended September’s operation as part of a campaign to protect traditional family values.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The French Catholic hierarchy strongly opposed the measures, in keeping with Catholic teaching that human life must be protected and defended from conception until natural death.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 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
  • Newsom stood by his return-to-office mandate in his veto letter to the Legislature.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Nationals stood by the decision, stubbornly convicted in their process.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of stood by
Verb
  • While in front of a judge, Siders, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, kept shielding her stomach and clutched her belly, The Daily Mail reported.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Groups of screaming preschoolers pass by us in the park, fists clutched tight onto their walking ropes, chubby hands waving hello or pointing to squirrels scampering in their path.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of clutched
Verb
  • The effort is part of a growing pro-play movement emerging as the next phase of the ed-tech backlash that gripped classrooms across the country, and spurred cellphone bans and screen time limits.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the background of the dilemma over rising fuel prices, Nigeria’s energy market remains gripped by a years-long tension tied to the uneasy co-existence of petrol imports alongside a thriving refinery sector.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 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
  • Except a woman who knew both of them eventually grabbed Leigh and more or less threw her into Beck.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Two veteran training officers and new paramedic Cristina DeBiase grabbed their equipment and gurney while another EMT remained with the ambulance and attempted to move it through traffic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 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.

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 2 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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