cloy

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cloy different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cloy are glut, gorge, pall, sate, satiate, and surfeit. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

When is glut a more appropriate choice than cloy?

The synonyms glut and cloy are sometimes interchangeable, but glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

When could gorge be used to replace cloy?

In some situations, the words gorge and cloy are roughly equivalent. However, gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

When would pall be a good substitute for cloy?

While the synonyms pall and cloy are close in meaning, pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

How do satiate and sate relate to one another, in the sense of cloy?

Both satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

When is it sensible to use surfeit instead of cloy?

The meanings of surfeit and cloy largely overlap; however, surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

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 cloy But look out for An Irish Goodbye, the only English-language nominee, which is just cloying enough to win. Vulture, 10 Mar. 2023 The acidity is well balanced with the sweetness so as not to be cloying at all. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2023 Lengua gyutan, or beef tongue, soaked in a creamy mushroom gravy, seemed destined to cloy but turned out to be smooth, balanced, and savory. Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 But before such moments can cloy, Arbery usefully complicates his case. New York Times, 22 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for cloy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloy
Verb
  • In pastel satin, the shoe softened the architecture while saturating the butter tone that has been trending on red carpets all month.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The devices nearly saturated the ground, and boosted humidity in the grove by 20%, dampening fire spread, Zwierzchowski said.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That program has not alleviated concerns over postproduction deductions and, as of August, had not resolved any cases about that issue, the news organizations found.
    Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
  • There are privacy enhancing technologies that would alleviate this concern.
    Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Zillow owns Follow Up Boss, one of the largest CRMs for real estate professionals, where AI is being used to lighten the load of human real estate agents juggling calls, notes, follow-ups, and property tours.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Because entrepreneurs wear many hats, AI is key to lightening their load.
    Anna Horndahl, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chinn is gratified that Chan’s nonprofit is bringing visibility to such a critical time in history.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Vance added that he's gratified by hearing calls for unity and condolences from Democratic friends and colleagues.
    Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cloy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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