as in communities
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
that clique refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table
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Recent Examples of cliques
These internal cliques, or deputy gangs, which have been tied to specific LASD precincts, have names like the Banditos, the Grim Reapers, and the Regulators.
—
Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
And there's hierarchy and cliques and clubs and all these different things.
—H. Alan Scott
jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Even today, Heathers' spin on cliques, teen suicide, and homosexuality still has bite.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The film, set at a suburban Chicago high school, stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall as five teenagers from vastly different cliques who spend a life-altering Saturday in detention.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Enid introduced Wednesday to the social scene at Nevermore — the four main cliques being Furs, Fangs, Stoners and Scales.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
And that's where little cliques were formed.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Today, though, even the most exclusive of these maritime cliques embrace their surrounding communities, whether through wildly popular race weeks, youth sailing programs, or taking the helm on sustainability issues.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
And there's hierarchy and cliques and clubs and all these different things.
—H. Alan Scott
jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Even today, Heathers' spin on cliques, teen suicide, and homosexuality still has bite.
—Michelle Kung, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The film, set at a suburban Chicago high school, stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall as five teenagers from vastly different cliques who spend a life-altering Saturday in detention.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Enid introduced Wednesday to the social scene at Nevermore — the four main cliques being Furs, Fangs, Stoners and Scales.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
And that's where little cliques were formed.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Today, though, even the most exclusive of these maritime cliques embrace their surrounding communities, whether through wildly popular race weeks, youth sailing programs, or taking the helm on sustainability issues.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliques
Noun
-
The Jamaican government issued mandatory evacuation orders on Sunday for the most vulnerable coastal communities, according to CNN.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In recent days, the grassroots effort has spread, as messages offering and seeking assistance are cut, copied and pasted throughout communities big and small, connecting neighbors and finding those in need tangible help.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly 75% of opening weekend crowds were males, while 50% were under the age of 25 years old.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
26 Oct. 2025
-
However, the aforementioned lists also include several teams that consistently draw big crowds, including the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even if the networks elect to tap the brakes on gambling ads in the near term, coverage of the NBA will remain a bit of a contextual minefield as long as Rozier and Billups remain in the headlines.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Varese notes that these families used to have a strong hand in the drug business, but were forced out by bigger supplier networks, significantly limiting their power and reach, which explains their involvement in smaller enterprises like gambling rings.—
Time,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some cultural differences slipped through their eyes, and New York gangs sometimes spoke like poets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Despite Luna establishing the Office of Constitutional Policing to root out deputy gangs, the county inspector general argued earlier this year that LASD had made no systemic effort to identify gang members within its ranks or investigate group misconduct.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of disclosing her condition to her employer and circles of friends, Sickler pulled back from modeling with little explanation, thinking that the absence of her hair would certainly result in the loss of her contract.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter into 2 ½-inch circles.—
Jenavieve Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
It was started to rival Tesla's home energy systems and provide battery packs, EV chargers and software to help customers optimize charging and ride out electric grid disruptions.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Murray had a fatal motor-neuron disease, and had reportedly accepted the job in exchange for a shipping container’s worth of cigarettes—twenty thousand packs.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In classical antiquity, the mountainous region was notorious for bandits; in modern times, blood feuds among clans were rife.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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But Gaza is home to numerous clans and militant groups, with score-settling and criminality posing a threat to order in the Palestinian enclave, even after the ceasefire.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Porat closed by urging leaders to really dig in and reimagine what’s possible in their own organizations.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Michelle encourages people to not just wear the color pink or purchase products at the register, but to ensure the foundations and organizations receiving your money actually use it to support breast cancer research.—
Ariel Nagi,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliques.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliques. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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