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 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 Ambassadorships are often awarded to loyalists and supporters, but this appointment looks particularly clannish. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025 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 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
  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
  • Keeley is all optimism in the buildup to the team’s first game — merely a friendly against Hayes and Yeading, but important nonetheless — but subsequent events threaten to squelch those good feelings.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Blumenfield said the site takes pressure off neighborhoods and keeps construction out of high-risk fire zones, targeting a walkable, pedestrian-friendly area.
    — Hunter Sowards, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • In a market like Louisville, where professional networks are often close-knit and reputations matter, marketing decisions can have a noticeable impact on customer perception and business relationships.
    — Jason Phillips, Ascend Agency, 10 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Habity Design The Habity bedside clock looks like a familiar retro alarm clock, but inside sits a low-power e-paper screen, a speaker, and a small collection of calming sounds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The statutory argument will be familiar to anyone following the Kalshi litigation.
    — The Insider, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 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 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clannish

Nglish: Translation of clannish for Spanish Speakers

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