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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cling (to)
Verb
-
Jerry told me then that his hands could no longer grip the canoe.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026 -
The life of a music director at a major opera company is inevitably one engaged in tragedy, and Conlon exhibits the dramatic flair to grip its emotional immensity.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For more of a statement finish, Clooney also accessorized the look with gold pieces, such as a Begum Khan clutch and pointy metallic pumps.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Rockets have played incrementally better in each game this series, going from a basic blowout in Game 1 to clutch time in Game 2 to leading with roughly 30 seconds to go in Game 3.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The two of them clench in the car, waiting to be let through the border.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
May watched, jaw clenched, arms crossed, eyes glassy.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By March, Ukraine had dispatched more than two hundred military experts to help Persian Gulf nations defend against Iranian drone attacks.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Helping defend Detroit star Cade Cunningham, Wagner recorded four of Orlando’s eight steals.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carl Wilson held a lead Tuesday night in the special election for a City Council seat on Manhattan’s West Side against Lindsey Boylan, in what has shaped up as a proxy battle in the ongoing power struggle between Mayor Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The conspiracy charge holds a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while the kidnapping charge is punishable by up to 20 years.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rivera’s defense team contended that the gun went off inadvertently in a struggle after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed Rivera.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Walsh locked down Maxey out of a Sixers timeout to force a turnover, and the Celtics grabbed four offensive rebounds on one first-quarter possession, with Walsh and Scheierman accounting for three of them.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump is standing by the leadership of the Secret Service and the president personally thinks agents did an excellent job neutralizing the shooter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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Throughout Peterson's legal troubles and accusations, the girls believed in his innocence and stood by his side.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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