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

To make sure that's the case, there's long been a strict firewall between the doctors and nurses trying to save patients in the hospital, and the organ retrieval teams standing by to try to procure their organs.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Though Hal does walk out, Todd does not, seemingly standing by his wife.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of standing by

Verb

Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
In a statement, BGE acknowledged the financial pressures customers are facing while defending its proposal.

— CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of defending

Verb

And the dynamic in the candidates’ race to capture swing voters reflects the national debate gripping both parties about how moderate to be.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood condemned the violence gripping Albania.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of gripping

Verb

Michael McCoy, 34, is charged with kidnapping the woman and holding her for three days.

— Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
In the morning, our breakfasts were put through the hole in the door, in small oblong-square tin pans, made to fit, and holding a pint of chocolate, with brown bread, and an iron spoon.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

San Martin was also tasked with grabbing the cash tray, which contained $17,000.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
The question of how law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will be affected by these potential tax cuts have fueled headline-grabbing debates across the state.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 30 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of clinging (to)

verb

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