as in communities
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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Recent Examples of cliques
At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
And there's hierarchy and cliques and clubs and all these different things.
—H. Alan Scott
jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Even today, Heathers' spin on cliques, teen suicide, and homosexuality still has bite.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The film, set at a suburban Chicago high school, stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall as five teenagers from vastly different cliques who spend a life-altering Saturday in detention.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Enid introduced Wednesday to the social scene at Nevermore — the four main cliques being Furs, Fangs, Stoners and Scales.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
And that's where little cliques were formed.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Today, though, even the most exclusive of these maritime cliques embrace their surrounding communities, whether through wildly popular race weeks, youth sailing programs, or taking the helm on sustainability issues.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
When and why do girls start forming cliques?
—Hannah L. Schacter, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2024
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
And there's hierarchy and cliques and clubs and all these different things.
—H. Alan Scott
jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Even today, Heathers' spin on cliques, teen suicide, and homosexuality still has bite.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The film, set at a suburban Chicago high school, stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall as five teenagers from vastly different cliques who spend a life-altering Saturday in detention.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Enid introduced Wednesday to the social scene at Nevermore — the four main cliques being Furs, Fangs, Stoners and Scales.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
And that's where little cliques were formed.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Today, though, even the most exclusive of these maritime cliques embrace their surrounding communities, whether through wildly popular race weeks, youth sailing programs, or taking the helm on sustainability issues.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
When and why do girls start forming cliques?
—Hannah L. Schacter, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliques
Noun
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Specifically, Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The series builds on The Star's efforts to improve coverage of local communities.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Grand Teton National Park shines in the fall with golden aspens, dramatic peaks, and a break from summer crowds.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The Lebanese restaurant was a hit in the neighborhood from the outset and was perpetually packed, with crowds of people waiting for a table.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This creates a need to expand collection networks, boost consumer participation and design for textile-to-textile recyclability.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Broadcast and cable networks like CNN did show some of the footage, but stopped the images and ran only audio, with the sounds of those in the crowd screaming.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Gerson believes the gangs have retreated.—
Johnny Fils-Aimé,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Last November, gangs opened fire on a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-au-Prince, striking a flight attendant who received minor injuries.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In a sign of Kirk’s influence in Republican circles, Vice President JD Vance accompanied Kirk’s family and coffin aboard Air Force Two on the trip back to their home in Arizona.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But with prices consistently uncompetitive, demand scant, and government incentives in the US and elsewhere drying up, there’s a growing perception in energy circles that the hydrogen bubble has burst.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One of the images shared showed what appeared to be a makeshift hut surrounded by trees, while another showed a shelter, and one featured a tent and tarp, a gas bottle,a camping stove, and packs of what appeared to be alcohol.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
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For that reason, many mechanical pencils are offered in packs of two or more, though high-end mechanical pencils and custom units may cost more for a single item.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet the unit also targets dissenters and those, including various clans, some backed by Israel, that dare to defy Hamas’s rule.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
His death effectively ended the O’More as one of the major Irish clans.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The United States has suspended some funding for its flagship AIDS relief program, according to international organizations and members of Congress who warn the cuts are already hurting patients and halting critical projects globally.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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According to Anthropic, the company behind Claude, a hacker used its artificial intelligence chatbot to research, hack, and extort at least 17 organizations.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliques.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliques. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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