CLUNG (TO) Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

clung (to)

verb

Definition of clung (to)

past tense of cling (to)

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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for clung (to)

Verb

The 48-year-old just fiercely defended him in a lengthy statement to UsWeekly.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its actions, telling CNN in a statement that those deported received due process and had final orders of removal.

— Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of defended

Verb

As the recording played, with Davis recounting seeing the ambulance that was carrying the rapper, Shakur’s sister clenched her left hand against her mouth.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Clad in the world champion’s rainbows, Evenepoel clenched both his fists, beamed a toothy grin, and hugged his soigneur.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of clenched

Verb

In 1996, Uga stood by Georgia during the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry on the 100th matchup between Georgia and Auburn.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
When Cyrus flipped her Disney Channel image on its head during her late-teen years, generating tabloid headlines over drug use and scandalous performances, Parton publicly stood by her.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of stood by

Verb

The case has gripped television and online trial watchers after several witnesses testified that Clancy was a good and devoted mother for years before her mental health deteriorated after giving birth to her third child.

— Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
More than a month after news of the stabbings in the small college town gripped the nation, Kohberger, then a PhD student of criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of gripped

Verb

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.

— Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.

— Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

Definition of held

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clung

clung (to)

clunk

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“Clung (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clung%20%28to%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clung (to)

verb

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