claque
noun
ˈklak 
1
: a group hired to applaud at a performance
2
: a group of sycophants
Did you know?
The word claque might call to mind the sound of a clap, and that's no accident. Claque is a French borrowing that descends from the verb claquer, meaning "to clap," and the noun claque, meaning "a clap." Those French words in turn originated in imitation of the sound associated with them. English speakers borrowed claque in the 19th century. At that time, the practice of infiltrating audiences with hired members was very common to French theater culture. Claque members received money and free tickets to laugh, cry, shout-and of course clap-in just the right spots, hopefully influencing the rest of the audience to do the same.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The problem isn’t with the 35,000 FBI agents and staff who keep the country safe, but with a claque of insiders who have abandoned the ethos of fairness and impartiality. 
Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 Yet the medicine, most commonly used as a dewormer for farm animals and household pets, has been taken up as a cause by a right-wing claque of anti-government and anti-vaccine activists. Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2021 While Anderson’s feature films encourage exhortations from a nihilistic claque, the little-remarked-upon Haim videos offer welcome emotional accord similar to Altman’s example. Armond White, National Review, 1 Apr. 2020 Late Saturday afternoon, the former two-term Colorado governor was wandering—almost unrecognized—on the fringes of a claque of Joe Biden supporters after the end of South Carolina Democratic convention in Columbia. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 June 2019 Groser and his staff had spent months researching Hillary Clinton, calculating who among her vast claque would win positions of power and influence in her administration. Nicholas Confessore, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2017 In his 14th season, James has become a principal in the debate between his fans and the Michael Jordan claque over who is the Greatest of All-Time. Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017 There’s a claque alongside to cheer the big boss and deride his doubters. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2017 See More
Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 Yet the medicine, most commonly used as a dewormer for farm animals and household pets, has been taken up as a cause by a right-wing claque of anti-government and anti-vaccine activists. Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2021 While Anderson’s feature films encourage exhortations from a nihilistic claque, the little-remarked-upon Haim videos offer welcome emotional accord similar to Altman’s example. Armond White, National Review, 1 Apr. 2020 Late Saturday afternoon, the former two-term Colorado governor was wandering—almost unrecognized—on the fringes of a claque of Joe Biden supporters after the end of South Carolina Democratic convention in Columbia. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 June 2019 Groser and his staff had spent months researching Hillary Clinton, calculating who among her vast claque would win positions of power and influence in her administration. Nicholas Confessore, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2017 In his 14th season, James has become a principal in the debate between his fans and the Michael Jordan claque over who is the Greatest of All-Time. Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 31 May 2017 There’s a claque alongside to cheer the big boss and deride his doubters. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
French, from claquer to clap, of imitative origin
First Known Use
1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1
- close in
- close in (on)
- close in on
- close internal juncture
- close juncture
- close off
- close on
- close on someone's or something's heels
- close one
- close one's doors
- close one's doors (to)
- close one's doors to
- close one's eyes to
- close order
- close out
- close position
- close price
- close quarters
- close ranks
- close reach
- close reading
- close reef
- close resemblance
- close score
- close shake