clans

noun

plural of clan
1
as in communities
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially that clan of football fans has parties every weekend on which the New England Patriots play

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tribes
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor the whole clan gets together only for holidays

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 clans Ali Mahmoud Ali, the group's Sudan analyst, said that the latest clashes risk bringing in more Nuba clans into the fight and could increase divisions across South Kordofan, where communities are facing an already dire humanitarian situation. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 All Palestinian clans and families in Gaza would also be a target for disarmament, which would have an impact on the future of Hamas and Palestinian armed struggle. — Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 Scores attach to a profile, clans compete by country, challenges travel between friends. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Various Maji clans such as the Omi Clan, or Maji of Water, and Ikú Clan, or Maji of Life and Death, practice different forms of magic, with Omi Tiders wielding waves and Ikù Reapers, like Zelie’s mother, summoning souls. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Her homeland, the kingdom of Orisha, is divided into clans with different magical abilities. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 28 July 2026 The event consists of live music, competition events such as highland dancing and sheepdog trials, food vendors and educational classes on what Scottish clans are. — Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026 Publishers Coolabi Group and Chinese online giant Tencent Video have greenlit the series, adapted from Erin Hunter’s novels about battling clans of feral cats, which have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clans
  1. communities
  2. tribes
  3. networks
  4. families
  5. cliques
  6. houses
  7. crowds
  8. circles
Noun
  • The loss of Native individuals led to the destabilization of Indigenous family units and entire communities.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Brussels governing system is notoriously splintered along linguistic communities, which is one reason the Brussels-Capital Region failed to form a new government between June 2024 and February 2026.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of communities
Noun
  • Carman and Fordham negotiated with local Indigenous tribes living on Long Island to purchase the land, and the following year, families moved there to start their new community.
    — Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Before the arrival of Europeans, the Native tribes used these waters as highways for their dugout and birchbark canoes.
    — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tribes
Noun
  • Next phase of the project Users can also cross-examine candidate locations against regional power grids and river networks through Oak Ridge’s HydroSource digital mapping tool.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Fox News and right-leaning networks One America News Network and Newsmax are good bets to air all or most of the convention.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of networks
Noun
  • High-deductible plans carry deductibles of at least $1,700 for individuals and $3,400 for families in 2026, according to the IRS.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Educational Freedom Accounts provide families taxpayer money to pay for private school tuition and certain homeschooling expenses.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of families
Noun
  • So the players will get a day off to cool down but have to spend the night at the pub quiz in teams of Ted’s choosing, never mind the cliques.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Amid the crushes, cliques, and teenage angst, two sisters set out to define themselves on their own terms.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of cliques
Noun
  • An aerial view of houses surrounded by mud, rocks and debris following flash floods on September 03, 2026 in Betravati village, Rasuwa, Nepal.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The funding is handled by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, which reports that 91% of buyers acquire one-family houses or condos, and that the average age of a recipient is 34.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of houses
Noun
  • Anyone going to Yosemite for a Labor Day day trip or a quick overnighter should be prepared for crowds and plenty of traffic.
    — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Parking lots and streets surrounding Acrisure Stadium were packed with tents, music and crowds as Pitt supporters soaked in the game-day atmosphere.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowds
Noun
  • Hampton will benefit from the same system that made De’Von Achane a household name in Fantasy circles.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Her fantastical Biblical scenes, of a graphic, storybook sensibility, sometimes showed angels, and Christ himself, as chalky white, and this rang in some Black critical circles as a sign of backwater unsophistication.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of circles

Browse Nearby Words

clannish
clans
clansman
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Cite this Entry

“Clans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clans. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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