as in clannish
bound together by feelings of very close association
the cliquish White House press corps soon let him know that he was not on the A-list
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliquish
Adjective
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The flood of immigrants who settled in the area were a motley crew – clannish Scandinavians, Germans, Irish Catholics escaping famine, Yankees from New England, Black refugees from the segregated South, Mexican workers seeking a better life.—
Harry Boyte,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026 -
Musk’s companies have always been financially linked to one another in a clannish sort of way, but the reality is: All these AI startups and companies are investing in and selling to one another.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Her government is to scrap a lethal arms exports ban in the coming weeks to promote Japan's defense industry and cooperation with the United States and other friendly nations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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Your community gains volume alongside the Moon bouncing into your friendly 11th house, so your team brainstorm or group chat may suddenly gain momentum regarding an upcoming project.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kaplan has represented District 1 since 2022, but is a familiar name in local politics.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Nearly every cinematic space voyage, however far flung, brushes up against familiar terrain.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Bediako case is a nice counterexample to the favoritism argument; the first judge stepped aside when his relationship with the university, or at least the coverage and commentary surrounding it, was too close-knit to be ignored, and the second judge ruled against his alma mater.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Bruins begin the season with a versatile and close-knit roster, Grant said.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With all that noted for context, here’s a closer look at the bottom line of the film businesses of Hollywood titans during the calendar year 2025.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
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Prager was deeply interested in the intricacies of the growing process, as well, sometimes spending weeks in the Colombian mountains living with the indigenous tribes that grew his weed and becoming close friends with his Colombian contacts that moved the product onto his boats.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cliquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliquish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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