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View synonyms for

cling

1

[ kling ]

verb (used without object)

clung clinging.
  1. to adhere closely; stick to:

    The wet paper clings to the glass.

  2. to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave:

    The children clung to each other in the dark.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. to be or remain close:

    The child clung to her mother's side.

  4. to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc.:

    Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.

  5. to cohere.


noun

  1. the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.

cling

2

[ kling ]

noun

cling

/ ɪŋ /

verb

  1. often foll by to to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking
  2. foll by together to remain in contact (with each other)
  3. to be or remain physically or emotionally close

    to cling to outmoded beliefs

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. agriculture the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other
  2. obsolete.
    agriculture diarrhoea or scouring in animals
  3. short for clingstone
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԲԲ, adverb
  • ˈԲ, adjective
  • ˈԲԱ, noun
  • ˈԲԲ, adjective
  • ˈԲ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • Բİ noun
  • ԲiԲ· adverb
  • ԲiԲ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·ԲiԲ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cling1

First recorded before 900; Middle English clingen, Old English clingan “to stick together, shrink, wither”; akin to clench

Origin of cling2

1835–45; by shortening from clingstone, or special use of cling 1 (noun)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cling1

Old English clingan; related to clench
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But I admire clubs that choose to live in the now, rather than clinging to what worked then.

From

But Labour could also lose mayors and there's no such excuse in what was one of their safest seats, in Runcorn, in the by-election where they could struggle to cling on.

From

The mineral, once widely-used in building materials, releases toxic fibres into the air when disturbed that can cling to the lungs and - over decades - cause cancer.

From

Investigations by the police outlined allegations he had personal conversations - including with figures from the armed forces - about the idea of a coup to cling onto power.

From

On the contrary, he clung tightly to his “defense wins championships” explanation for making the deal that sent Doncic to Los Angeles and brought elite defender Anthony Davis to Dallas.

From

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