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
  • Alexandra Pechman’s feature debut drops Lily McInerny’s Nora into the cliquish literary world of 2011, where an internship at a taste-making magazine means reading the slush pile, fetching coffee, and navigating exclusive parties.
    — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
  • The playground is less playground, more sprawling treehouse, complete with climbing structures, waterslides, and two toddler-friendly pools.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • An archipelago famed for its friendly culture, white-sand beaches and teeming coral reefs, Fiji has struggled for years to contain a drug boom.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • Bridgeport sits just outside of downtown on the Near South Side, and homeowners are close-knit.
    — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • The Taurus Moon opposes Venus across your career and home zones, making recognition, responsibility, or visibility compete with the desire to retreat somewhere familiar.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Because customers can respond within a direct, familiar channel, brands can create interactions that feel both immediate and convenient.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of familiar

Browse Nearby Words

clanks
clannish
clans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clannish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clannish. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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