How to Use cloying in a Sentence

cloying

adjective
  • After a while, the softness of his voice becomes cloying.
  • Honey scent does not have to read as cloying, even on hot days.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
  • The mocha was cloying, the caramel not salty enough, and both had an all-too-present tinge of monk fruit.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Money woes will slowly leave you, as will that cloying streak of bad luck.
    — Snehaa Khanna Sahgal, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2025
  • Namely, a harsh, acrid taste, and any kind of cloying sweetness.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Coconut milk and brown sweet rice combine to make a rich, silky dessert that isn’t cloying.
    — Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
  • But there are times when even that team spirit is excessive and cloying.
    — Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2021
  • The bourbon pecan pie was a rich, gooey wedge that avoided being too cloying.
    — Suzanne Loudermilk, baltimoresun.com, 23 June 2017
  • The scent was floral without being cloying, and was nice to burn year-round.
    — Nena Farrell, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2023
  • When the cabin door closed, a sugary, cloying scent wafted through.
    — Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2019
  • Safe, but without feeling cloying, or twee, or message-laden.
    — Bridget Read, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2019
  • What if there was a sports movie for everyone who hates the usual cloying, sweet stories?
    — Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2023
  • Voilà dips deep enough into the tropes to be charming without being cloying.
    — Dominic Armato, azcentral, 3 Jan. 2020
  • The agua fresca was more cloying than refreshing.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • The slightly sweet, cloying fragrance of rotting foliage hung in the air.
    — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2018
  • This is a dessert bourbon in all the right ways — rich, warm, and indulgent, but never cloying.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • 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
  • The butter helps cut through the cloying sweetness of the syrup without masking the maple flavor.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2025
  • If there were more than these few dozen objects, the cumulative effect could be cloying.
    — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, 7 July 2017
  • The cloying, dull pain of chafing or blisters is one of the biggest backpacking killjoys.
    — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 23 Apr. 2018
  • There remain too many moments that are cloying and saccharine enough to induce toothache.
    — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 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
  • 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
  • Danishes have never been my thing, probably because so many of them in the world are squishy and cloying.
    — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2019
  • 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 chocolate-caramel-sea-salt and Oreo versions pack the most flavor without being too cloying.
    — Daliah Singer, The Know, 10 July 2019
  • 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
  • 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

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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