as in circle
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clique
The dark comedy about teen suicide and social cliques was adapted into a musical by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy and had an off-Broadway run in 2014.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
The Republican donors get their roles, splitting their loot with the more pliable components of the Castro clique.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
When a new employee, Pumpkin (Tung), is welcomed into the coven, jealousies emerge, secrets come to the surface, and the toxicity of the clique has deadly consequences.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
One third of power clique Griselda, the Buffalo, New York rapper, as a solo artist, has some of the best chops in the game.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clique
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
The Republican donors get their roles, splitting their loot with the more pliable components of the Castro clique.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
When a new employee, Pumpkin (Tung), is welcomed into the coven, jealousies emerge, secrets come to the surface, and the toxicity of the clique has deadly consequences.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
One third of power clique Griselda, the Buffalo, New York rapper, as a solo artist, has some of the best chops in the game.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clique
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clique
Noun
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In her once-easy-to-navigate social circles, communication was often even harder.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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The issue is moving beyond niche environmental circles and into mainstream public concern that crosses culture-war boundaries.—
Justin Zorn,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In his post-match press conference, Arteta praised the courage of his players to play short, even after the Emirates crowd weren’t pleased with how that first move failed.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The same goes for facilities like Escape Lounges, which may cut off access, add a waitlist or stop selling day passes based on real-time crowd conditions.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tong referenced an expose on CNN that revealed a network of websites and group chats on platforms like Telegram in which men uploaded videos of drugging and raping their wives and advised others how to do the same.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
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During the event, Vietnam’s deputy minister of industry and trade, Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, highlighted how FedEx’s global footprint would complement Viettel Post’s domestic network to ultimately enhance Vietnam’s ability to scale exports worldwide.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The state’s highest court, the SJC, heard arguments in a community lawsuit filed by the Defenders and Emerald Necklace Conservancy earlier this month, and is weighing its claim that the project’s professional soccer use would illegally privatize public parkland.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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In threads where the human community had decided someone was in the wrong, the AI affirmed that user's behavior 51% of the time.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The first 32 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft will begin primarily focused on a top tier that runs out quickly, and transition to a bunch of teams staring at the same cluster of offensive tackles, edge rushers and wide receivers.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the first three, the meanest comments of the bunch, are all solidly directed at women.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Although Nikki, who has a knack for DIY mechanical engineering, is able to furnish the gang with new gadgets, their plans pretty much always come down to almost getting eaten by some enormous otherworldly creature before being rescued at the last possible millisecond by El’s telekinesis.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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The Mexican Mafia, described as the largest and most powerful gang operating from inside state prisons, controls gangs throughout Southern California.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The first collection of in-box toys features exclusive Whataburger sticker packs, with five distinct designs to discover and collect.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
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One of the pacemakers continued until just after the 25-kilometer mark, by which time the pack had been reduced to three.—
Alex Hutchinson,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In hindsight, this was NOT exactly a great idea for the clan.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Take a walk to Chew Jetty, a historic waterfront settlement of stilt houses built by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century; visit Little India, with its heady, culture-melding atmosphere; or make a day doing the rounds of clan temples (Khoo Kongsi included) and Peranakan mansions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clique. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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