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
-
When the streamers come down, the felt lift goes with them, and what survives is a line in the budget defended by everyone who had a good time.
-
Before the earthquakes, the government generally defended its national health system as robust, blaming shortcomings on sanctions imposed by the United States.
Verb
-
The body politic wages war against itself in Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the all-out battle makes for a gripping spectacle in Griffith Park.
-
Button Gwinnett didn’t want to be in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress in the summer of 1776, and not just because a heat wave gripped the city and delegates dressed in wool and powdered wigs.
Verb
-
Videos circulating on social media over the weekend showed residents confronting military personnel, accusing them of standing by while civilians carried out rescue operations with little official assistance.
-
Pulte, who is now also the director of national intelligence, in a statement after Monday's ruling, stood by his accusations.
Verb
-
England were on the cusp of one of the biggest World Cup upsets in recent memory — until the heart and soul of the program came up more than clutch.
-
In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies.
Verb
-
The White House Key Facts A rendering of the passport shared by the White House on Friday shows Trump presumably leaning over the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, alongside his signature and text from the Declaration of Independence.
-
Coley and the audience know this isn’t true, but Sonya’s clenched jaw and steely gaze don’t leave room for questions.
Verb
-
The next step in the process involves the city drafting a redevelopment plan outlining development standards before holding public hearings and seeking additional approvals.
-
The handoff that seems minor may decide whether the whole plan holds.
Verb
-
Video of the incident showed the professor grabbing and twisting the arm of the pro-Palestinian student.
-
As police tried to handcuff Sever, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said Sever swung at troopers and forcefully grabbed at a trooper's duty weapon, which was secured in a holster.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
