CLINGING Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

clinging

verb

present participle of cling

as in adhering

to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion a dozen magnets clinging to the refrigerator

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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.

Recent Examples of clinging Mykola Murskyj, senior adviser on policy and strategy at the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine, told the Washington Examiner that Zelensky isn’t just arbitrarily clinging to power — the entire country is wary of voting during wartime. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026 Rescues were reported in multiple counties on Saturday, including people found in floodwaters, clinging to a piece of a dock along the Freedom Trail Greenway in Burke County, officials say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026 At the time, the Lightning were clinging to a one-goal lead early in the third. — Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Apple is clinging to modest gains (and trying for a record close) after the iPhone maker unveiled its biggest push yet into connected home devices. — Kevin Stankiewicz,alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 If the Republicans are clinging to Oregon, that's going to be interesting. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 They’re hand-built from reclaimed timber, local stone and thatch, and furnished with curtains of clinging seashells, driftwood details, and swathes of creamy linen. — Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 Selling this promise of a technological future to those clinging to the dream of American prosperity was an especially potent exercise during the Depression. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Davidson struck me as being fearful, clinging to a handful of ugly stories about trans people as a sign of things to come in women-only spaces. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clinging

Verb

Repeat guests begin wrapping their feet with tape and adhering gel pads to prevent blisters.

— Johanna Wolfe, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.

— H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026

Definition of adhering

Verb

The day rewards curiosity more than sticking stubbornly to the original plan.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
The priority the remainder of the year must be personnel evaluation, so sticking a full 17 games with Austin Jackson - who seems unlikely to be back next season - would be denying the front office and coaching staff a chance to see other players.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of sticking

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cling

clinging

clinging (to)

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“Clinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clinging. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clinging

verb

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