clannish

adjective

ˈkla-nish How to pronounce clannish (audio)
Definition of clannishnext
as in cliquish
bound together by feelings of very close association a clannish family that can be rather cool to outsiders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 clannish The model relies on a dramatic shift in relations among officers and prisoners, two historically warring factions in a system built on clannish gamesmanship for survival. — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 July 2024 Ambassadorships are often awarded to loyalists and supporters, but this appointment looks particularly clannish. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025 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 The flood of immigrants who settled in the area were a motley crew – clannish Scandinavians, Germans, Irish Catholics escaping famine, Yankees from New England, Black refugees from the segregated South, Mexican workers seeking a better life. — Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clannish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clannish
  1. cliquish
  2. friendly
  3. close-knit
  4. cliquey
  5. familiar
Adjective
  • Whitehead wanted to write, but workshops rejected him and the cliquish undergraduate literary scene put him off.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of cliquish
Adjective
  • Prior to the game, both players said Sutter Health Park had lived up to its reputation as a hitter-friendly ballpark.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Alarmed by an avalanche of high-density development projects prompted by a developer-friendly state law, Miami commissioners have ordered the city attorney to look into challenging the controversial legislation.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • In fact, the Inter Miami FC star's entire family is close-knit and involved in his athletic career.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
  • The design team, small and close-knit, became something of a surrogate family.
    — Christopher Bollen, Vogue, 16 June 2026
Definition of close-knit
Adjective
  • The middle daughter of the family has always felt outside of its cliquey confines, what with Lizzy and Jane forming such a pair and Kitty and Lydia (Molly Wright and Grace Hogg-Robinson) practically sharing a brain.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
  • The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of cliquey
Adjective
  • While no one wants a bad night's sleep, most of us experience occasional sleep disruptions stemming from familiar culprits like late-night doomscrolling, too much caffeine, stress or an inconsistent bedtime routine.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Tensions over race and history are familiar for Lynne Jackson, who now runs a foundation in Missouri to honor Dred Scott and his effort to vindicate his rights.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 7 July 2026
Definition of familiar

Browse Nearby Words

clanks
clannish
clans
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Cite this Entry

“Clannish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clannish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clannish

Nglish: Translation of clannish for Spanish Speakers

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