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
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Adjective
And lest the moment lean too cloying or sentimental, this shot’s earnestness is undercut with a playful wink.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for cloying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloying
Adjective
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Kevin Hart got sentimental sending son Hendrix off to prom — even loaning him a watch for the evening.—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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As the next generation of NFL stars showed up in style for football's big night, Jordyn Tyson laced up his older brother Jaylon Tyson's sneakers, which held a bit of their own sentimental sports history.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Avoid saturating the mattress — over-wetting is one of the most common mistakes people make, and excess moisture trapped inside the mattress can lead to mold growth, creating an entirely new allergen problem.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Avoid puddling or saturating the soil.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok has warned the combination of tariffs, sticky inflation, and slowing growth can create a stagflation-like setup, one that would be hostile to both markets and consumers.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The five-year, $11 billion project will add 16 miles of express lanes and a dedicated busway with the aim of alleviating traffic on one of Atlanta’s most stressful roads.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, the conflict is also likely to bolster demand for China’s world-leading green energy manufacturers as countries push to wean themselves off fossil fuel dependency, potentially alleviating a downward price spiral that recently pushed Beijing to curb solar overcapacity.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Wolves started out sloppy with nine first-quarter turnovers and finished with 25.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After relieving himself, Pulido went to lie down again on a bench and rest, Sapolu said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The movie is simultaneously more depressing than the original and more saccharine, with a repellent amount of affection between characters who should know better.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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The symbol of the rainbow is saccharine, an easy metaphor, but who cares.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cloying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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