CLANNISH Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

clannish

adjective

ˈkla-nish

Definition of clannish

as in cliquish

bound together by feelings of very close association a clannish family that can be rather cool to outsiders

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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 clannish This sort of soft, clannish corruption is not a coat of paint that can be stripped from the protectionist architecture; the dysfunction infests the very foundations of it. — David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025 Ambassadorships are often awarded to loyalists and supporters, but this appointment looks particularly clannish. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025 The model relies on a dramatic shift in relations among officers and prisoners, two historically warring factions in a system built on clannish gamesmanship for survival. — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 July 2024 In Afghanistan, legitimate authority has traditionally been highly localized, a product of consensus rather than brute force, and firmly anchored in tribal, clannish, and kinship structures. — Jonah Blank, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011 See All Example Sentences for clannish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clannish

Adjective

Whitehead wanted to write, but workshops rejected him and the cliquish undergraduate literary scene put him off.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Definition of cliquish

Adjective

Bridgeport sits just outside of downtown on the Near South Side, and homeowners are close-knit.

— Jermont Terry, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
In a market like Louisville, where professional networks are often close-knit and reputations matter, marketing decisions can have a noticeable impact on customer perception and business relationships.

— Jason Phillips, Ascend Agency, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of close-knit

Adjective

The middle daughter of the family has always felt outside of its cliquey confines, what with Lizzy and Jane forming such a pair and Kitty and Lydia (Molly Wright and Grace Hogg-Robinson) practically sharing a brain.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025

Definition of cliquey

Adjective

The point is to make the brand’s Parisian identity travel throughout its 56 markets without turning it into a collection of familiar cues and clichés.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
In the campaign video, Kelce arrives at New York’s iconic The Plaza Hotel and greets a few familiar A-list faces before heading to his room to relax with an adorable, fluffy white dog.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of familiar

Browse Nearby Words

clanks

clannish

clans

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“Clannish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clannish. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clannish

adjective

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