as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
the cloying sentiments of so many Mother's Day cards
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Recent Examples of cloying
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
Mocha landed on the more cloying end and the Salted Caramel much more reminiscent of asking your barista to add just one or two flavor shots.
—Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2025
His frequent use of direct-to-camera narration initially seems like a cloying misstep (mostly because so many other movies have sucked the fun out of that device).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
The cloying missive goes on to explain that Google didn't really want to ban all those accounts, but Biden administration officials just kept asking.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Adjective
And lest the moment lean too cloying or sentimental, this shot’s earnestness is undercut with a playful wink.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
Mocha landed on the more cloying end and the Salted Caramel much more reminiscent of asking your barista to add just one or two flavor shots.
—Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2025
His frequent use of direct-to-camera narration initially seems like a cloying misstep (mostly because so many other movies have sucked the fun out of that device).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
The cloying missive goes on to explain that Google didn't really want to ban all those accounts, but Biden administration officials just kept asking.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloying
Adjective
-
Well, this overly gauzy, sentimental, dull period romance hasn’t gotten any less dopey now that Nicolas Cage has been, well, Nicolas Cage for the last 20 years.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Today is a very sweet, sentimental and romantic day.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The first step, experts say, is saturating the skin with an essence (similar to a traditional toner) to boost moisture retention, followed by an emulsion in place of a standard moisturizer.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
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This Valentine’s Day, consider saturating your nails in a lush, deep red as rich as red velvet cake.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When slicked with oil over high heat, the morsels crisp into a textural marvel, jumping a long way from their original sticky form.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Brewing economic conditions suggest, however, that when Warsh takes office, presumably in May, central bank policymakers could be facing both a wobbly jobs picture and sticky inflation made worse by spiraling energy prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The National Weather Service said the temperatures are expected to rise above freezing late Wednesday morning alleviating any black ice issues.—
Staff Reports,
Hartford Courant,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Five years in the making, the Caerus Steadicam was initially designed for wheelchair users to work in the film industry, but there are advantages also for the able-bodied since the weight distribution is spread out on the wheelchair, thus alleviating the need to carry heavy loads.—
Shirl Leigh
March 02,
New Atlas,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Penguins were sloppy in the defensive zone and didn’t put the Flyers away on the power play.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
A couple sloppy Westlake possessions have given the Lady Tigers the momentum.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, QatarEnergy declared force majeure, a legal term relieving the company from contractual obligations.—
Julia Simon,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
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But one aspect of relieving that only comes with time and experience is learning how to get over a bullpen blowup and be ready to pitch the next day.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
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Especially because the historicization does something to Martin’s writing, tossing in a saccharine element that neutralizes some of his humor.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cloying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloying. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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