1
as in keeps (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 clutches
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 clings (to)
Verb
-
The older woman clutches her top towel closer to her.—
Weike Wang,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Tom Hammock, along with key cast and crew, delves into the intricacies of designing the terror that grips this unsuspecting community.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The film grips the attention from the opening frames – grainy archive footage of a man wearing a gas mask who drives a pickup truck down a road bordered by white cylindrical storage containers.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As Solène leaves, Rainbeau clenches her fists, talking herself out of hitting Solène and remembering the way disputes got resolved in her family.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Since playing Enid—who fiercely stands by roommate Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) throughout the first two seasons of the Netflix show streaming now—Myers has garnered more than 10 million Instagram followers.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Vikander, whose father is a psychiatrist in Sweden who advises on gender confirmation surgery, stands by it.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Unrivaled, the women’s 3-on-3 basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, holds less than 900 fans at the league’s Wayfair Arena home near Miami.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Zhmo Canvas Tote Bag Finding a work bag that checks every box—fits your laptop, holds your lunch and water bottle, keeps things organized, and still looks stylish—is no small feat.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the feeling when a film grabs hold remains the same—by a story, a character, a voice—that, never goes out of season.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Friedman defends the All Elite Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship on November 18, 2023 at AEW Full Gear.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
McDaniels defends Maye Following his recent press conferences, something is amiss with Drake Maye.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Clings (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clings%20%28to%29. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share