cliquing

Acting in a way that only benefits your clique.
A way to improve/expand your clique.

Coined in the Of Montreal song of the same name.

"We've got to keep our clique cliquing!"

cliquing by Luke Jsn June 20, 2008

virtual cliqueing 

Much like social cliques in high school, virual cliqueing can occur in online forums or threads where two or more people take over a conversation, steering it in such a direction where all other users leave the forum or thread. As in social settings such as school, a clique can be formed online when people with similar interests take over a certain topic and literally close out a once vibrant thread, due to their esoteric ramblings or code language unknown to the greater community using that forum/thread

Online Commentator 1: "Just like in high school, Charles and Justin had to veer off on a tangent, driving the rest of the online contributors onto a different thread to complete discussing our original topic. Charles and Justin are good at virtual cliqueing themselves while closing out once popular threads."

Online Commentator 2: "Yeah, quite peculiar, it's like they are deliberately trying to ostracize themselves, just like in high school."

virtual cliqueing by hammerofthegods February 14, 2012

Cliqueing

The act of using clique mentality to gang up on a target—essentially, the Clique Mentality version of ganging up. Cliqueing involves leveraging in‑group cohesion to isolate, harass, or expel an outsider. It often happens without explicit coordination: members sense the group’s hostility and act in unison, reinforcing each other’s behavior. Cliqueing can be subtle (ignoring the target’s messages, downvoting everything they post) or overt (coordinated reporting, public mockery). Its power lies in numbers and in the target’s awareness that no one in the group will help them.

Example: “She noticed that every time she spoke, the regulars changed the subject. When she asked why, they all started mocking her for ‘seeking attention.’ Cliqueing: exclusion enforced by unspoken agreement.”

Cliqueing by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 28, 2026