cliques

noun

plural of clique
as in networks
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table

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 cliques That era involved small cliques of devs talking a big game about decentralization (which often provided a pretext for no accountability) while shilling tokens at all turns. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 July 2026 Since its inception, social media has been a proving ground for tween fashion and identity, offering under-16s a digital canvas to experiment with their style and form online cliques around niche interests. — Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 2 July 2026 Ramsey numbers for same-size red and blue cliques are called diagonal Ramsey numbers. — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2026 Under Meza, player cliques developed, stars were pampered, discipline waned. — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026 Prosecutors said the killings were tied to Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a transnational gang that maintains a presence in Los Angeles through smaller groups, or cliques, including in the San Fernando Valley and around MacArthur Park. — Sydney Barragan, Daily News, 6 June 2026 What began as a search for community and understanding turned into an experience that felt akin to the cliques and social hierarchies of high school. — Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 6 June 2026 Tuchel does not want dressing-room cliques and has put a premium on having a unified group pulling in the same direction. — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 23 May 2026 In this milieu, Hollywood A-listers like Will Ferrell and Sharon Stone, who occupy separate cliques nearby, pale in comparison to the mingling artistic luminaries. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliques
  1. networks
  2. communities
  3. circles
  4. crowds
  5. gangs
  6. packs
  7. clans
  8. covens
Noun
  • The system was designed to support secure and resilient data sharing between satellite networks operating in low-Earth orbit.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Fox News Digital reached out to Seajets Ferries in Greece, one of the largest networks of high-speed and catamaran vessels in the Aegean Sea.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of networks
Noun
  • More than 30 independent bookstores across North Texas are inviting readers to explore their shelves, collect passport stamps, and discover the communities that make each shop unique.
    — CBS News Texas Staff, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Renewed flood danger Friday Iowa and northwestern Illinois face the greatest risk of flooding rain Friday — a Level 3 of 4 — but more storms are targeting communities in Indiana and Ohio already soaked this week.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of communities
Noun
  • How to choose a concealer for dark circles The heavy-duty concealer that covers your angriest breakouts might not be the best choice for the delicate skin under your eyes.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 15 Aug. 2026
  • As her work developed in the ’70s and ’80s, Heilmann began transforming personal references like music, waves, California highways, and other symbols into more simple visual forms like circles, squares, and stripes.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of circles
Noun
  • The second attempt in March 2021 succeeded, with images showing crowds that had gathered to witness the launch.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • From electric live performances and iconic stage sets to crowds dancing under fog, these images highlight the vibrant spirit of the weekend.
    — Ray Chavez, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowds
Noun
  • In Ecuador, local criminal gangs allied with Colombian and Mexican cartels manage the routes and ship the narcotics, 80% of which originate in Colombia and the rest in Peru.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Ecuador National Police via AP In Ecuador, local criminal gangs allied with Colombian and Mexican cartels manage the routes and ship the narcotics, 80% of which originate in Colombia and the rest in Peru.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gangs
Noun
  • Most packs contain exactly as many bars are needed to replace every bar, which is usually three or five.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The seasonal treat will be available in instant-consumable snack-size packs, as well as regular and king-size bars and a six-pack made for sharing.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of packs
Noun
  • 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
Definition of clans
Noun
  • Season 2 sees Louis and Claudia in Europe — just in time for World War II — and both novel and show expand outward to include things like vampire covens and AMC tie-in series to the further reaches of Rice’s lore.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 June 2026
  • The Last Witch Hunter, about the one man who stands between humanity and the most horrible witch covens imaginable, grossed $130 million at the worldwide box office at the time of its initial theatrical release in 2015.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of covens

Browse Nearby Words

clique
cliques
cliquey
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Cite this Entry

“Cliques.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliques. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of cliques for Spanish Speakers

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