cling (to)

verb

Definition of cling (to)next
1
as in to keep (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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grip
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cling (to)
  1. grip
  2. clutch
  3. clench
  4. defend
  5. hold
  6. grab
  7. stand by
Verb
  • For those eager to revisit or catch up on the gripping saga, seasons one through three are available to stream now, exclusively on BET+.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Hell or High Water (2016) — A gripping modern Western about two brothers who resort to bank robbery to save their family ranch.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Definition of grip
Verb
  • Suddenly, Stephen is a father again, tearfully clutching a crying boy, the one his son died to save.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Olivier-winning Clarke is holding court in the center of the room while clutching a tiny portable fan, her purple braid swaying in its breeze.
    Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
Definition of clutch
Verb
  • Examples include: Stress: People under a lot of stress may be more likely to clench or grind their teeth.
    Maggie Aime, MSN, Health, 21 Oct. 2024
  • The most important step is to identify and correct oral behaviors that can contribute to burning mouth syndrome, like clenching or grinding your jaw.
    Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024
Definition of clench
Verb
  • Sanchez — who campaigned for office in 2022 on a platform of reforming the county’s troubled jail amid scores of in-custody deaths over the last decade — defended the deputies in her memo.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • The outcomes of these proceedings are currently uncertain, and the company is defending these cases vigorously.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Definition of defend
Verb
  • No team this season has held the top spot for more consecutive weeks than Oregon, which pulled away from Maryland over the weekend to improve to 10-0 and is a unanimous No. 1 for the second straight week.
    Eric Olson, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The tasteful memorial features a short labyrinth walkway that ends at the sculpture of a miner holding a pick-axe and a harp, one of Ireland’s national symbols.
    James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024
Definition of hold
Verb
  • The addition will mean RTP will continue to have a place to grab barbecue after Lawrence Barbecue's owners decided to leave Boxyard RTP for downtown Cary.
    Zachery Eanes, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
  • At one point, the man allegedly told Combs to grab a white bird from a cage that the man had presumably brought with him.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024
Definition of grab
Verb
  • Both parties, of course, ultimately stood by their call, and they were vindicated in the end, but according to executives and on-air talent at multiple TV networks that spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, the lessons of that call are still being felt.
    Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The New Lego Flowers Kit Is a Christmas-Ready Poinsettia Pot That Doubles as Holiday Decor Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Le Creuset’s signature Dutch ovens are an investment that many home cooks stand by.
    Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of stand by
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near cling (to)

clings (to)

cling (to)

clingy

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...