Almost every line judge pens becomes cloying (7)

I believe the answer is:

treacly

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'cloying' is the definition.
(I know that cloying can be written as treacly)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for treacly that I've seen before include "like Carroll's sisters' drawings" , "Excessively sentimental" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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