as in cliquish
bound together by feelings of very close association
a clannish family that can be rather cool to outsiders
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Recent Examples of clannish
The most successful of those managers have carved out a niche catering to the valley’s famously clannish billionaire elites.
—
James McClain, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2023
There are a broad spectrum of other possible explanations for the disparate outcomes Boegeman cites, including religious differences, geographic differences, even — gasp — the clannish propensity of ethnic groups to band together and create — or retain — their unique cultural traditions.
—Star Tribune, 19 July 2021
The Trumps are nothing if not clannish.
—Hari Kunzru, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
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
James McClain, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2023
There are a broad spectrum of other possible explanations for the disparate outcomes Boegeman cites, including religious differences, geographic differences, even — gasp — the clannish propensity of ethnic groups to band together and create — or retain — their unique cultural traditions.
—Star Tribune, 19 July 2021
The Trumps are nothing if not clannish.
—Hari Kunzru, The New York Review of Books, 2 July 2020
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
Adjective
-
Don’t overlook any of these taxpayer-friendly changes, including the higher income limits for the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, for people living in states with higher taxes.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
After this, Roggeveen decided to send two sloops and three other boats to shore and make friendly introductions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Milwaukee feels more compact and close-knit, in some cases.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Friends and neighbors described the family as quiet and close-knit, and authorities have said there is no indication Loureiro anticipated any threat.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These films often took familiar genres or plot structures but then told those stories through a distinctly Korean lens.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The memoir turns instead into a broad and essentially familiar discourse about ambition as a route out of challenging family circumstances; the pursuit of conventional success leading to alienation; the frequent clash between career and parenthood.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clannish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clannish. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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