as in cliquish
bound together by feelings of very close association
a clannish family that can be rather cool to outsiders
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Recent Examples of clannish
The most successful of those managers have carved out a niche catering to the valley’s famously clannish billionaire elites.
—
James McClain, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2023
There are a broad spectrum of other possible explanations for the disparate outcomes Boegeman cites, including religious differences, geographic differences, even — gasp — the clannish propensity of ethnic groups to band together and create — or retain — their unique cultural traditions.
—Star Tribune, 19 July 2021
The Trumps are nothing if not clannish.
—Hari Kunzru, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
In Afghanistan, legitimate authority has traditionally been highly localized, a product of consensus rather than brute force, and firmly anchored in tribal, clannish, and kinship structures.
—Jonah Blank, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011
See All Example Sentences for clannish
James McClain, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2023
There are a broad spectrum of other possible explanations for the disparate outcomes Boegeman cites, including religious differences, geographic differences, even — gasp — the clannish propensity of ethnic groups to band together and create — or retain — their unique cultural traditions.
—Star Tribune, 19 July 2021
The Trumps are nothing if not clannish.
—Hari Kunzru, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
In Afghanistan, legitimate authority has traditionally been highly localized, a product of consensus rather than brute force, and firmly anchored in tribal, clannish, and kinship structures.
—Jonah Blank, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011
See All Example Sentences for clannish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clannish
Adjective
-
Rather, this is merely one more reflection of how Iger has long sought to position Disney as a family-friendly, classic Americana brand with appeal across all sides while eschewing blatantly divisive programming.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
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The result is a more stable, income-friendly sector—even if production growth is less dramatic.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their neighborhood and school make up a small and close-knit community where people know each other.—
Shimon Prokupecz,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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His response was an indication that Mahomes and Jones are close-knit.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Holly, who did not share her last name, posed in the familiar tourist style—appearing to hold up the tilted tower.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The fantastic is used to sketch out familiar story lines, but the metaphysical premise remains as vague as the dramatic stakes in the lives of the characters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clannish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clannish. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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