IN GROUP Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

in-group

noun

Definition of in-group next

as in clique

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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 in-group More than once, I’m told to connect with Joel, a gay man who works in tech and who spent a lot of time among the older in-group of powerful gay men in Silicon Valley, more than a decade ago. —

Zoë Bernard, Wired News, 19 Feb. 2026 Military analysts describe propaganda and imagery as core tools for shaping perceptions, reinforcing in-group identity and portraying government actions as illegitimate or repressive. —

Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026 This aligns with findings from empathy research, which distinguishes between parochial empathy (caring for one’s in-group) and universal empathy (concern for all people). —

Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026 And the dialogue would happen on platforms that goad each of us into being the worst versions of ourselves; that prioritize in-group performance over listening; that reward outrage and outrageousness; that collapse context; that exist to privilege conflict over resolution. —

Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025 Philosophers including Plato and Descartes largely dismissed laughter and suggested people used humor primarily to establish superiority or in-group status, by making jokes at others’ expense. —

Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for in-group

Noun

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
Their parties became notorious even in my own cliques; my parents knew to expect at least a few dozen teenagers crashing their party, sucking down all the noodles, and sneaking beers in the canyon down below.

— Natasha Pickowicz, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2026