cling to
phrasal verb.to hold onto something very tightly because you are scared or do not want to lose it; it can also mean refusing to let go of a belief or hope.
phrasal verb.to adhere closely to a physical object or to maintain a tenacious attachment to an idea, memory, or belief despite changing circumstances.
“The child clings to his mother's hand in the crowd.”
“Even after the company closed, some employees continued to cling to the hope that they would get their jobs back.”
“The ancient ruins cling to the side of the cliff, defying both gravity and the relentless erosion of the coastal winds.”
usually followed by a physical object or an abstract noun like 'hope', 'belief', or 'tradition'.
highlight the transition from the literal physical sense to the figurative emotional sense; it often implies a level of desperation or resistance to change.
the verb 'cling' always requires the preposition 'to' to connect to its object.