CLINGING (TO) Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

clinging (to)

verb

present participle of cling (to)

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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinging (to)

Verb

Waits unfurls a sad story over the course of the song, dropping details about an unnamed woman in red shoes who’s standing by the newsstand outside a pharmacy on a cold, rainy night.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026
There were no signs marking the farm, but Marris turned down a dirt road and spotted its 23-year-old owner, Courtney Baker, with long blond hair and a tan, standing by a metal gate near a white pickup truck.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of standing by

Verb

Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.

— Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice.

— Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

Definition of clenching

Verb

Over the years, the town was a major post for government forces defending Taiz.

— AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Much of the discussion surrounding this week’s game centers around how the Georgia defense will go about defending Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell.

— Connor Riley, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of defending

Verb

During the investigation, the sheriff's office said the 15-year-old girl was clutching her bag tightly and started to reach inside.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Wednesday, after beating the Houston Astros 7-3 to advance to the American League Division Series, Venable was standing inside a raucous clubhouse clutching a bottle of La Marca Prosecco.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of clutching

Verb

What happened—which can be reconstructed from messages that the agents sent one another and from traces of their own internal reasoning, known as chain-of-thought records—makes for gripping reading.

— Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Each chapter of her life delivers gripping scenes with twists and turns, accomplishments and setbacks.

— Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of gripping

Verb

Sacramento County Health Inspectors gave a red placard to a local pizzeria after observing an employee, with gloves on, grabbing a napkin and killing a cockroach then continuing to cook.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Aire Libre is still around for those who just can’t bear the thought of not grabbing a beer by the pool.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

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clinging

clinging (to)

clings

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“Clinging (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging%20%28to%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clinging (to)

verb

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