How to Use cloying in a Sentence

cloying

adjective
Definition of cloyingnext
Synonyms for cloyingnext
  • After a while, the softness of his voice becomes cloying.
  • The icing was sweet but not cloying, with a touch of lemon.
    — Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
  • Coconut milk and brown sweet rice combine to make a rich, silky dessert that isn’t cloying.
    — Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
  • Sweet ― but not cloying ― the tasty drink is low in alcohol (5.5% ABV), light on the palate and very thirst-quenching.
    — Marc Ramirez, Dallas News, 24 Jan. 2020
  • The scent was floral without being cloying, and was nice to burn year-round.
    — Nena Farrell, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Smiley strives to avoid a cloying tale about getting along.
    — Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2020
  • A huge pot bubbles on the stove at the yellow guest house for hours, filling the air with the cloying redolence of burning tires.
    — Cheryl Katz, Smithsonian, 17 Jan. 2017
  • The bourbon pecan pie was a rich, gooey wedge that avoided being too cloying.
    — Suzanne Loudermilk, baltimoresun.com, 23 June 2017
  • The slightly sweet, cloying fragrance of rotting foliage hung in the air.
    — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2018
  • When done right, the cafecito will be sweet but not cloying, covered in a rich, creamy head that’ll stick to your hipster mustache — and your ribs.
    — Carlos Frías, miamiherald, 29 Mar. 2018
  • Some were a bit heavy and sweet—cloying and alcoholic—the sort that might scare a potential Sauternes fan away.
    — Lettie Teague, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2018
  • When the cabin door closed, a sugary, cloying scent wafted through.
    — Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2019
  • But right now, in 2017, the dry humps of R&B sometimes feel like Drakkar Noir — a cloying attempt at seduction.
    — Allison P. Davis, The Cut, 10 Dec. 2017
  • Their bedroom walls are painted a not-too-cloying shade of pink — but just two-thirds up, because while the girls adore pink, Dan doesn’t.
    — Marni Elyse Katz, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2019
  • The cloying, dull pain of chafing or blisters is one of the biggest backpacking killjoys.
    — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 23 Apr. 2018
  • But there are times when even that team spirit is excessive and cloying.
    — Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2021
  • What if there was a sports movie for everyone who hates the usual cloying, sweet stories?
    — Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2023
  • The texture is light and not too cloying, and the oil absorbs quickly with no greasy sensation to complain about.
    — Flora Tsapovsky, Southern Living, 19 May 2021
  • The skin is green and the flesh is intense and complex in flavor, with a melon character and a cloying sweetness.
    — Noris Ledesma, miamiherald, 22 June 2017
  • Voilà dips deep enough into the tropes to be charming without being cloying.
    — Dominic Armato, azcentral, 3 Jan. 2020
  • The chocolate-caramel-sea-salt and Oreo versions pack the most flavor without being too cloying.
    — Daliah Singer, The Know, 10 July 2019
  • The bourbon is an official salute to the season, while the Campari tarts things up just enough to keep it from being too cloying for the weather.
    — Paula Forbes, GQ, 30 Sep. 2017
  • At the end of each episode, a cash award is given to the baby or engagement announcement with the most cloying gimmick!
    — Lucas Kavner, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2017
  • The sour cream in both the cake and frosting temper what could otherwise be a cloying confection.
    — Becky Krystal, The Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2019
  • The coconut flavor verges on the edge of overpowering but stops just short of being cloying.
    — Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2019
  • The mask, which has the slightly sweet but not cloying fragrance of edelweiss extract, went on smoothly and dried without pulling on my face.
    — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2024
  • The amenities and service are spot-on without being cloying.
    — Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2017
  • For too long, fruity beers have been cloying, or overly fruity, or simply gross—the high-femme counterpoint to a pumpkin stout that no one asked for.
    — Marian Bull, GQ, 2 July 2018
  • Both the tequila and the honey add sweetness, but the matcha lends an earthiness that cuts into the sugar and keeps it from being cloying.
    — Meg Lappe, SELF, 7 Oct. 2017
  • There are moments that are a bit cloying, but with love some of that is certainly permitted.
    — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cloying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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