clinch vs cling

clinch

verb
  • To hold firmly; to clench. 

  • To clasp; to interlock. 

  • To embrace passionately. 

  • To make certain; to finalize. 

  • To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed. 

  • To set closely together; to close tightly. 

  • To fasten securely or permanently. 

noun
  • Any of several fastenings. 

  • A passionate embrace. 

  • The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast. 

  • The act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling. 

  • A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts. 

cling

verb
  • To hold very tightly, as to not fall off. 

  • To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing. 

  • To be fond of, to feel strongly about and dependent on. 

  • To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a way as to follow its contours. Used especially of fabrics and films. 

  • To cause to dry up or wither. 

  • To dry up or wither. 

  • To produce a high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell. 

noun
  • Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit. 

  • adherence; attachment; devotion 

  • An ornament that clings to a window so as to be seen from outside. 

How often have the words clinch and cling occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )