as in brownnoser
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
a transparent apple-polisher whose fulsome praise fooled no one
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polisher
Noun
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Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026 -
His latest lesson was giving the finger to a worker at a Michigan auto plant who yelled at him for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, thereby giving license to his minions to do the same in any conflict or disagreement.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Tokyo — Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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January 2016 brought roughly 700 Front Range Pats fans together.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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And his toadies that go along with him are -- are subscribing to that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Sette is considered an expert on human T cells, the immune cells that adapt to recognize and fight infections from viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Brandi Glanville continues to take fans along on her battle against an aggressive facial parasite, with the latest development looking good for the reality TV star.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Start by wiping away any food or debris with a sponge or cloth.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
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Add them underneath your hand soap, dish soap, scrub brushes, sponges, and more to prevent spills around the sink from soaking your counters.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
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What happened to the idea that art and culture should be a contemptuous refuge from the mainstream, as opposed to this lickspittle, running dog accommodation to the mainstream?—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
3 June 2022
Noun
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Almost the entire Republican Senate caucus is made up of sycophants who disgrace the notion of democracy.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2026
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And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polisher. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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