cliquish

as in clannish
bound together by feelings of very close association the cliquish White House press corps soon let him know that he was not on the A-list

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliquish
Adjective
  • Jews, because human beings are and always will be clannish.
    David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
  • This sort of soft, clannish corruption is not a coat of paint that can be stripped from the protectionist architecture; the dysfunction infests the very foundations of it.
    David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Outside, life bustles with the familiar sounds of rickshaws and friendly neighborhood chatter.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Trump remarked on the friendly reception he's gotten from many in the billionaire class, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, during his second term.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The crossings also have to be familiar words all the way across those entries.
    Deb Amlen, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Kaye’s version, if the full title isn’t clear enough, has a familiar outline: First-gen immigrants become parents in the West, hoping their sacrifices will be rewarded with a doctor or lawyer child; child goes another way; conflict ensues.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Leading this loud and lovingly close-knit multigenerational family is Suga Mama (Jo Marie Payton), the feisty grandma and matriarch.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The kids in the long run have remained close-knit.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Melania Trump wears black veil to Pope Francis' funeral as President Trump dons blue suit As the president's second term in office passes the 100-day mark, here is a closer look at the first lady's lookbook.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • His close alignment with Trump has damaged his tech company brands, and despite being one of the most proactive members of the president's team, his job approval rating has been ranked as even lower than Trump's.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Cliquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliquish. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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