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
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Similar to Glinda Pink, this specific shade of pink is soft, light, and romantic—but not too cloying.
—Marilú Almaguer, Glamour, 24 Jan. 2025
Thick, deeply flavorful and less cloying than the original, this vegan rendition ($9) uses Shields’s date crystals, chewy pieces of fresh date, soy ice cream and banana.
—Freda Moon, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Try a Rice Krispie Treat with sesame and brown butter paired with a Brut-style Champagne — the acidity of the Champagne will cut through the cloying sweetness.
—Jillian Dara, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Adjective
As May, Chen is cloying and enthusiastic and undeniably glamorous.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Similar to Glinda Pink, this specific shade of pink is soft, light, and romantic—but not too cloying.
—Marilú Almaguer, Glamour, 24 Jan. 2025
Thick, deeply flavorful and less cloying than the original, this vegan rendition ($9) uses Shields’s date crystals, chewy pieces of fresh date, soy ice cream and banana.
—Freda Moon, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Try a Rice Krispie Treat with sesame and brown butter paired with a Brut-style Champagne — the acidity of the Champagne will cut through the cloying sweetness.
—Jillian Dara, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloying
Adjective
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The opportunity to expand his supplier network, combined with Vidalia’s proximity and its acquisition the sentimental shuttle looms, made the prospect of working with the doomed mill appealing on paper.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2025
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While wearing gaudy lime green T-shirts, neon ties sprouting shamrocks with Gaelic sayings, or singing catchy, sentimental tunes, many people also enjoy an Americanized version of the Celtic culture for a day, whether Irish or not.—
Maureen Murphy,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His defense on Ashworth in the second half was superb, sticky and lacking in no detail.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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My way of allocating stagehands to a load-out was to write the names down on Post-its, like sticky white things, and put them on their shirts.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Research — a survey of 109 CEOs of major Canadian organizations, complemented by in-depth qualitative interviews with 46 of them — suggests six strategies for alleviating loneliness that leaders can employ.—
Alaric Bourgoin,
Sarah L. Wright,
Jean-François Harvey,
Saouré Kouamé,
Harvard Business Review,
23 Dec. 2024
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Much of this latest round of donations went to organizations focused on alleviating poverty, Scott wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The latest: The Cavs looked sloppy and tired at points this week, but still gutted out comeback wins against Miami, Charlotte and Brooklyn.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
12 Mar. 2025
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There’s also the possibility that when you get fatigued, your muscles may not be as able to fully support your knee, and your footwork can get sloppier, making the possibility of an awkward twist all the more likely.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Archway Homes will buy the home and make the repairs needed, relieving the sellers of the hassle and expense.—
Archway Homes,
Kansas City Star,
5 Jan. 2025
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Xylitol may have other health benefits, including preventing ear and sinus infections, increasing bone density, and relieving constipation.—
Adrienne Dellwo,
Verywell Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The fragrance opens with a playful dance of marshmallow sweetness, brightened by unexpected touches of lemon and peach skin that keep it from being too saccharine.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
17 Jan. 2025
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Comments For folks with a sweet tooth for saccharine love stories, Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations hit the spot — most of the time.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
EW.com,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cloying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloying. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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