1
as in kept (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 clenched
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 clung (to)
Verb
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As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.—
Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
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My muscles, head, neck and back were clenched.—
Verb
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To complete her outfit, Kylie clutched a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which is worth anywhere from $200K to upwards of $300K, according to Sotheby's.—
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Raynaud clutched his left knee while writhing in pain before limping off the floor with assistance from head athletic trainer Joel Noland.—
Verb
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Mass anti-government protests triggered by deteriorating economic conditions have gripped the country, presenting the Iranian regime with its biggest challenge in years.—
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The detainees held inside one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons had not yet heard the news that had gripped their nation and much of the world for the past week.—
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Verb
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The New England Patriots defended home turf in the Wild Card Round, dominating the Los Angeles Chargers in a 16-3 victory to move on in the NFL Playoffs.—
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Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson defended the final-drive defense afterward.—
Verb
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Jazzy Davidson scored all of her 12 points in the first quarter on a poor shooting night (5 for 23 from the field), grabbed five boards and dished out five assists.—
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Towns scored 17 and grabbed 20 rebounds for New York, while Mikal Bridges scored 21 and OG Anunoby scored 25.—
Verb
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Kings coach Doug Christie stood by his player when asked about Dennis Schroder’s beef with Luka Doncic before Monday’s 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.—
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Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden stood by his record but didn’t directly address the ongoing attempt to remove him from office at a Tuesday candidate forum.—
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Cite this Entry
“Clung (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clung%20%28to%29. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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