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
-
Newness is always in supply, however, and what ends up defining a season is still in many ways nudged to the forefront by editors and buyers who are gripped by styles that speak to the moment.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2025 -
Griffiths cried at times, fanning herself and gripping the hand of a friend sitting beside her.—
Hillel Italie,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The bottom line: Across the world, Birds Gang International will be congregating for a chance to see the Eagles clutch a second Lombardi Trophy.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
6 Feb. 2025
-
The young and the old arrived clutching white candles, ready to light them, along with flowers and handwritten notes paying tribute to those killed in Tuesday’s massacre.—
Sarah Dean,
CNN,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The hollow tubes are just the right diameter for a baby to clench a fist around, and come in strawberry-apple and banana flavors.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
2 Feb. 2025
-
On match point, Sinner hit a service winner and clenched his fists in celebration.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The visiting Catalans regularly strolled through the first line of pressure that night — with Vinicius Jr and Mbappe unconvincing in defending from the front in a 4-4-2 formation before Barca overloaded the midfield with their technical, creative players.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
-
The fast food giant faced immediate backlash, leading to McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Desiree Ralls-Morrison defending the company in a LinkedIn post.—
Russell Leung,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Now, the two senators want to hold the president to his pledge.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Also on Sunday, there were emotional scenes in Bangkok airport, as five Thai workers who were released after being held hostage for over a year in Gaza arrived back home.—
Robbie Griffiths,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Then, almost missing the cue, Belushi stepped forward and grabbed the mic stand.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2025
-
The second woman, the grandmother of the 5-year-old girl and mother of the 22-year-old victim, tried to intervene when Phillips grabbed and pushed her, authorities said.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The scoop and level method is what our Test Kitchen stands by.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
-
The majority of citizens are in favor of giving prohibition a try and stand by the council in its decision.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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)
Cite this Entry
“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share