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 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 That sweetness can cloy if it’s not suitably chilled and diluted, which is why almost everyone chooses to make it on the rocks. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 16 Dec. 2021 The museum’s sacredness to many, including me, can cloy a little. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for cloy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloy
Verb
  • Founded in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1973 by a host of Ivy League squash and tennis players, Boast emerged as the American counterpart to Europe’s heritage tennis brands during a decade when the sport seemed to saturate U.S. culture.
    Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 30 June 2025
  • This is what companies are doing-- or should be doing --to stay on top: Own Your Audience To Stand Out In A Crowded Market Today’s market is saturated with tools, platforms, and products that often look and function similarly.
    Margot Machol Bisnow, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • To alleviate lawmakers who said the change risked the collapse of many rural hospitals, the Senate ultimately included a new $50 billion fund to support rural hospitals.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 1 July 2025
  • DeSantis stressed the facility is both temporary and necessary to alleviate burdens on the state’s law enforcement agencies and jails, which have seen an influx in migrants amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • And here's a chance to light up the grill without seeing wallets lighten as much.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
  • In an era of a tough economy, unconventional ties bring humor and lighten the mood.
    Kristopher Fraser, Robb Report, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Shows about money gratified both people’s escapist impulses and the desire to critique those who didn’t seem worthy of their blessings.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025
  • The sculpture’s location itself is one of total urban deletion and communicative displacement as much as the sculptural structure is one of perceptual withdrawal and refusal of even a minimum of gratifying tactility.
    Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cloy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloy. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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