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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cloying
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
The sole respite from the cloying ooze was the strawberries, which tasted wholesome by comparison.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Adjective
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.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloying
Adjective
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That verisimilitude functioned as a solvent, lending credibility and urgency to elements of the show that might otherwise register as pure cheese; the medical realism and sentimental flourishes were mutually reinforcing.—
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Kitsch without meaning is just clutter, so take your time building a look that feels sentimental and nostalgic to really nail the style.—
Verb
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But Starbucks is now struggling, and its strategy of saturating urban areas to draw coffee drinkers on their way to work in the morning has backfired amid competition, the rise of remote work and rising costs.—
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For occasional deep refreshes, coarse salt or baking soda can help lift stains without saturating the wood.—
Adjective
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Cramer said strong signs from forwarding holiday spending suggest inflation may remain sticky, setting up tension between a president eager to contain prices and consumers who have borne the brunt of inflation.—
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To keep a tension rod from slipping, look for rods that have rubber stoppers on the ends or that come with sticky wall brackets.—
Verb
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Lamont, while not weighing in directly on Iroquois’ proposal, has been generally supportive of expanding pipelines as a way of increasing the supply of natural gas flowing into New England and alleviating winter price spikes.—
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However, $500 million in homelessness funds approved last year will still be available to local governments — as long as the state determines cities and counties applying for the money have made sufficient progress in alleviating the crisis.—
Adjective
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The soft knit fabric drapes just right, giving that relaxed vibe without looking sloppy.—
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Practice had been a bit a sloppy at times, but San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher had a wide smile anyway Thursday afternoon.—
Verb
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Browns let go of Kevin Stefanski The Cleveland Browns kicked off the infamous day in the NFL calendar by relieving Kevin Stefanski of head coaching duties after six seasons in charge of the team, the franchise announced in a statement.—
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Colorado doesn’t have any way of quantifying whether areas need more hospital beds, and health systems generally described their recent projects as bringing specific types of care closer to communities, rather than relieving a crunch on their existing facilities.—
Adjective
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What might smell delicious and inviting to one may seem saccharine or cloying to another; some folks prefer cleaner, brighter scents, while others reach for the musky, woodsy ones.—
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Though the show may seem like a perfectly picturesque, saccharine snow globe at first glance, there's a bite woven in, at times acerbic, at times deeply dramatic in a real-life way.—
Cite this Entry
“Cloying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloying. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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