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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliquish
Adjective
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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
-
The Coach Outlet is stocked with buttery-soft leather backpacks, stylish crossbody bags, and even small accessories, such as pocket-friendly card cases and sturdy luggage tags, all of which are up to 70 percent off their retail price.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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The brand offers dozens of high-quality sheets in cozy, breathable fabrics at wallet-friendly prices.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Here, Hunter returns to a familiar figure in Stock’s Ethan, a writer who made it out of small-town Idaho for college and then a life in Seattle, but whose career is flagging and bank account is running dry.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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But those who’ve watched the Blackhawks on a nightly basis know Spencer Knight has been masking some familiar defensive deficiencies.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That is the beauty of it and the whole theatrical community is so close-knit.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Pressing for payment could humiliate people, who often arrive with their extended families, Parmar explained, and in a community this close-knit, that could mean losing dozens of patients, including many of the Medicaid patients who keep the clinic afloat.—
Helen Ouyang,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump levied his greatest assault against the international economic order, announcing the most expansive set of tariffs in American history on both autocratic adversaries and America’s closest democratic allies in April 2025 (Russia was strikingly excluded).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Trump, however, made inroads with New Jersey voters in November 2024, making for a surprisingly close race.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cliquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliquish. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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