as in circle
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of clique
Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
In the post-colonial era, Arab dictators established secular laws, but these legal systems favored the ruling clique.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clique
Noun
Among the latter’s clique is secretly nerdy blonde Lizzie (Lulu Wilson), who used to hang out with Jack and Montgomery, before proving pretty and canny enough to switch allegiances.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
In the post-colonial era, Arab dictators established secular laws, but these legal systems favored the ruling clique.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clique
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clique
Noun
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Stacy Jennings posted 2 hits, 2 RBIs and a walk while also dominating in the circle, allowing three hits and zero earned runs.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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It had been mounted on a small platform, which bore a little icon of a pair of feet inside a backslash circle, as though stepping into a guillotine were every museumgoer’s wish.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the night of Cabo Verde’s qualifying victory, Moreira recalled, players celebrated on a beach with crowds of fans.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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Monday’s start represented the largest home crowd (36,702) that Cabrera has ever pitched in front of in his career.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Rentals are complimentary for those staying in Bella Grande’s suites, but anyone in the hotel can book the bikes to cycle around the extremely bike-friendly city for a small fee.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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With Sprout, the focus shifts toward human-friendly machines that can integrate into everyday life, potentially redefining how people interact with robots at home.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That fall, an old friend reached out to my father through the underground communications network, dialling a number printed on a faded piece of plastic Dymo tape and speaking to him from a public phone booth.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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Your network is ready to grow, and travel, whether to see existing friends or connect with professional contacts, is well supported this month.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
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
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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
Noun
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The international film community—including the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice festivals and the American Cinematheque—spoke out against these persecutions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Barnardsville is an unincorporated community about a 150-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Steeped in international cinema, Haghighi has since taken familiar tropes, forms, and genres and bent them in new directions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
So California may be readying to wage a two-front battle — the familiar one against smog, but a second, altogether new one, against an administration determined to let California get smoggy again.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the past few years, Underwood has come to realize that a bunch of barking alphas may not, in fact, be the best way to build a successful pack.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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So the idea of witnessing a wedding and what that does to you internally birthed the idea of, okay, actually, a bunch of people are going to spontaneously bleed to death at this wedding.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clique. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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