: a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons
especially
: one held together by common interests, views, or purposes
high school cliques
Synonyms
Examples of clique in a Sentence
that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table
Recent Examples on the Web
Much of the New York literary clique followed Mankiewicz to California when the industry shifted from silents to sound and filmmakers suddenly needed to hand their beautiful faces brilliant things to say.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
His sidelining demonstrates the extent to which Khamenei and his clique have tightened their grip on the reins of power and further dispensed with the trappings of democracy for which the regime often congratulates itself.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
Many of those members returned to the United States, often illegally, and re-joined MS-13 cliques that had expanded to dozens of states including New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, California and Nevada, according to the indictment.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
The San Mateo Heritage Alliance, which seems to be an opulent homeowners’ clique, was founded in 2022.
—Byalena Botros, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The argument is occasionally a topic of conversation between Ali and Beverly Mohamed, who have known each other since the 1950s, part of an informal clique known as the Golden Girls, whose members have mostly passed away.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Term limits for leaders in sports and politics are seen as a key measure to curb power cliques and patronage, and Čeferin has even agreed with this in interviews.
—Graham Dunbar, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
While the clique all dons an array of statement looks, fans may be surprised to learn that the film actually had an extremely limited costume budget.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
The tag represented a clique, or subset, of 18th Street, Aguirre said.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
His sidelining demonstrates the extent to which Khamenei and his clique have tightened their grip on the reins of power and further dispensed with the trappings of democracy for which the regime often congratulates itself.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
Many of those members returned to the United States, often illegally, and re-joined MS-13 cliques that had expanded to dozens of states including New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, California and Nevada, according to the indictment.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
The San Mateo Heritage Alliance, which seems to be an opulent homeowners’ clique, was founded in 2022.
—Byalena Botros, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
The argument is occasionally a topic of conversation between Ali and Beverly Mohamed, who have known each other since the 1950s, part of an informal clique known as the Golden Girls, whose members have mostly passed away.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Term limits for leaders in sports and politics are seen as a key measure to curb power cliques and patronage, and Čeferin has even agreed with this in interviews.
—Graham Dunbar, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
While the clique all dons an array of statement looks, fans may be surprised to learn that the film actually had an extremely limited costume budget.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
The tag represented a clique, or subset, of 18th Street, Aguirre said.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French
First Known Use
1711, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near clique
Cite this Entry
“Clique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clique. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on clique
Nglish: Translation of clique for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of clique for Arabic Speakers
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