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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 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 In a number of sensitive sectors, such as telecommunications, EVs, and drones, such cliques have already formed, setting bans and restrictions on the use of equipment from Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE. — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliques
  1. networks
  2. communities
  3. circles
  4. crowds
  5. gangs
  6. packs
  7. clans
  8. covens
Noun
  • The goal is for those encounters to lead to collaborations and longer-term support networks.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Among the items are discarded personal protective equipment, thermal insulation, electrical cabling, structural steel, rebar, loose soil, building concrete, and exhausted ion-exchange resins taken from water filtration networks.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of networks
Noun
  • Recent major outbreaks in Texas, South Carolina and Pennsylvania reveal the threat of measles in undervaccinated, insular communities.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Many newcomers are bypassing traditional gateways for smaller cities and suburbs, drawn to emerging enclaves from Cincinnati and Knoxville to Utah’s booming communities, even as Florida remains the top destination for some nationalities.
    — Will Jarrett, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of communities
Noun
  • That’s because the tight turns and circles could result in a crash if all helicopters remain in pursuit.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The lightweight cream disguises dark circles, redness, blemishes, and uneven tone, melting in seamlessly enough to blend across larger areas in place of foundation.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of circles
Noun
  • Saturday brought periods of rain, smaller crowds and people huddling beneath umbrellas while performers and vendors pushed ahead.
    — J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026
  • And for all the complaints that Hollywood has basically abandoned film festivals, there was no shortage of celebrities to elicit big reactions from crowds.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowds
Noun
  • By July of this year, gangs attacked Kenscoff again, pulling back only to organize an even bigger attack in late August.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The nonprofit God's Pantry in Pomona serves around 10,000 families monthly, while nearly all of its staff have overcome homelessness, addiction, gangs, or incarceration.
    — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangs
Noun
  • More accurate state-of-charge information can help battery operators monitor systems and manage battery packs over longer operating periods.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The $799 Ultra 4 packs impressive battery gains, but the $399 Series 12 is the real star of the show.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of packs
Noun
  • 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, 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
Definition of clans
Noun
  • As in the original, hatchets must be buried and covens assembled to answer these questions.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 22 Sep. 2026.

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