clung

American

[kluhng] / klʌŋ /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of cling.

clung British

/ klʌŋ /

verb

the past tense and past participle of cling

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sajili clung to a small part of the boat that stayed above the waterline until the last possible moment, before letting go and swimming towards a life raft.

From Barron's

Her father clung to her so tight she could barely breathe.

From Literature

Zapata Rivera, who has a pending asylum claim, clung to his family.

From Salon

He draws parallels with Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe, who clung to power into his 90s before being removed by the military.

From BBC

She clung to her two older sons, who, as they matured, eluded her grip much as their father had.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023