CLIQUEY Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

cliquey

adjective

Definition of cliquey

as in cliquish

bound together by feelings of very close association found the people at the brokerage house to be just as cliquey as a gaggle of high school cheerleaders

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 cliquey The middle daughter of the family has always felt outside of its cliquey confines, what with Lizzy and Jane forming such a pair and Kitty and Lydia (Molly Wright and Grace Hogg-Robinson) practically sharing a brain. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026 The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliquey

Adjective

Whitehead wanted to write, but workshops rejected him and the cliquish undergraduate literary scene put him off.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Definition of cliquish

Adjective

Organizers promoted the event as a family-friendly space with an Easter egg hunt and horse rides for children, according to the statement.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
There was a June 1977 friendly in Buenos Aires where punches were thrown and players were ejected.

— Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026

Definition of friendly

Adjective

The Machine was lambasted, fairly, for its clannish coördination and its efforts to keep Democratic politics in a certain mainstream style.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.

— Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

Definition of clannish

Adjective

Men’s European Championship 2024 Spain versus England is becoming quite familiar in finals.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Blending the vintage style of a Mary Jane shoe with the modern, casual style of a trainer, these shoes shine with their unique but familiar design.

— Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026

Definition of familiar

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cliques

cliquey

cliquish

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“Cliquey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliquey. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cliquey

adjective

Example Sentences

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