adhere

as in to cling
to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion everyone started calling her "Cookie" when she was little and the name adhered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adhere contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of adhere are cleave, cling, cohere, and stick. While all these words mean "to become closely attached," adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

antibodies adhering to a virus

In what contexts can cleave take the place of adhere?

The synonyms cleave and adhere are sometimes interchangeable, but cleave stresses strength of attachment.

the wet shirt cleaved to his back

When might cling be a better fit than adhere?

In some situations, the words cling and adhere are roughly equivalent. However, cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

clinging to a capsized boat

When is cohere a more appropriate choice than adhere?

While in some cases nearly identical to adhere, cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

eggs will make the mixture cohere

When can stick be used instead of adhere?

The words stick and adhere can be used in similar contexts, but stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

couldn't get the label to stick

Example Sentences

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 adhere Drying too fast or too slow can affect how the paint adheres and compromise its longevity, resulting in premature failure. Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Mar. 2025 Using clean hands, gently press down all over to adhere fillings to dough. Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 May 2025 Greenwood says the film adheres more to the Georgian era rather than the Regency period. Abigail Lee, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025 Hall’s retirement comes after several top officials have left the Food and Drug Administration and the HHS cut its staff to adhere with the administration’s plans to curb federal spending. Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adhere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adhere
Verb
  • Fence bears out With snow still clinging to mountainsides and bears still asleep, some 30 people have shown up in a converted Fernie railway station to discuss grizzly bear coexistence.
    Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025
  • Listen to this article The Queens single mom clinging to life after being savagely beaten and robbed of her e-bike on Randalls Island was left unconscious on the ground for nearly six hours before she was discovered by a passerby the next morning, the Daily News has learned.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Philips sticked away a backhand attempt by Minnesota’s Brooke McQuigge just 35 seconds into overtime, with the Frost forward getting loose in front of the Ottawa net.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
  • An animated Wheel Of Time, for instance, could stick closer to the source material while costing a fraction of what a live-action series costs.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adhere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adhere. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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