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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While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues.—
Nicole Bennett,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026 -
The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Being middle class comes with a fear of losing a specific sense of safety; the existential quest is finding out if there’s more to life than clutching onto your stuff in anticipatory panic.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
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Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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However, as Nikki — who has lost her self-control and is clearly possessed by some unseen entity — becomes obsessed with Bear and her actions turn deadly, the once-lovelorn friend of the woman desperately tries to find a way to break the horrific spell that is gripping her.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
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Fortunately, North Carolina’s Avetts aced the assignment with a soul-gripping version of George Harrison’s melodically rich proclamation of hope, this time inflected with fiddle and banjo.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The Andic family is standing by him.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
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Aleksi was with a group of young men, standing by some flower sellers, when Defne and Mete stepped off the ferry.—
Ayşegül Savaş,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Tennis champion Rafael Nadal is holding court about his upcoming Netflix documentary series.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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In an interview with Willamette Week, Doran likened Visible Cloaks’ approach to Brian Eno’s concept of ambient music being both ignorable and interesting, holding one’s attention by not holding it at all.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors have theorized that after Mackenzie sped up the car, Dominic and Davion could have tried to stop the crash by grabbing the wheel or gear shift.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
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Consider grabbing a set of packing cubes, which are great for packing for vacation and storing and organizing items at home.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Victor Wembanyama is making news these days as a third-year player who has led the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-2 series tie with the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
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The Western Conference Finals shifted back to Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, with the defending league champions pulling away in the second half for a 127-114 victory in Game 5.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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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 28 May. 2026.
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