1
as in keeping (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 clenching
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 clinging (to)
Verb
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Harry clutching a red-hot doorknob, Marv taking a paint can to the face — right up to the gruesome sound effect, then had the music stand down for the sizzling or thwacking payoff.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025 -
Some are fantastical – think Shrimp Jesus – and some are believable at a quick glance – remember the little girl clutching a puppy in a boat during a flood?—
Adam Nemeroff,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More Yankees/Getty Images Manager John Schneider confirmed that the Yankees had picked up on a tell when Scherzer was gripping his changeup with runners on base.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Marswalker has rugged wheels in each corner for gripping the steps, as well as a long antenna to sense angles and heights.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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From Shakespearean comedies to Disney fairy tales, the sign of a life well lived is so often a woman standing by a man, vowing to obey and sealed with wedding bells.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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But creatine is standing by the ready, having stored up phosphates for just this occasion.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the photo, Elordi stood behind Romy, holding a glass of wine as Romy stuck her tongue out at the camera.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Packers controlled the line of scrimmage, holding the league’s top-scoring offense from 2024 to just 13 points.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Soliman was called to an asylum hearing in February, a month into the new administration, for a last shot at defending his eligibility.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
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Those included defending Novo's leadership in diabetes and obesity treatment, fostering a high performance culture and realigning the company's cost base and driving efficiencies.—
Karen Gilchrist,Katrina Bishop,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Clinging (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging%20%28to%29. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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