bootlick

verb

ˈbüt-ˌlik How to pronounce bootlick (audio)
Definition of bootlicknext
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior the kind of office in which people feel they have to bootlick in order to get ahead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bootlick Its mission was to upset hierarchies, not reinforce them, and few things were more offensive to comedians than bootlicking. — Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026 Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants. — Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlick
  1. fuss
  2. kowtow
  3. toady
  4. drool
  5. truckle
  6. fawn
Verb
  • Perhaps only a pedant—or a hypocrite—would fuss about that kind of imprecision.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • If the offensive line’s healthy again, RB Saquon Barkley will ramble again, broadening QB Jalen Hurts’ margin for error and being fussed at by the coaching staff.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fuss
Verb
  • But the league needs to protect its players, and be careful not to kowtow too much to its critics.
    — Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The decision has led to accusations that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has kowtowed to Trump, who last year won FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, prompting European lawmakers to call for an investigation into how the prize was awarded, Le Monde reported.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of kowtow
Verb
  • The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .
    — Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Hamlet’s toadying friends, the hangers-on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are Izzard’s own talking hands, popping up to face her like a pair of Muppets.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2024
Definition of toady
Verb
  • Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Beyond the seating area is the hotel shop with a vibrant range of pottery to drool over.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.
    — David Samuels, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2013
Definition of truckle
Verb
  • His stature will prevent draftniks from fawning over him, and even opponents aren’t immune to underestimating him in person.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Naturally, the Venice Film Festival was swiftly fawning over George Clooney on Wednesday, as the Oscar-winning star arrived (via boat, of course) to pick up his Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fawn

Browse Nearby Words

bootlessness
bootlick
bootlicked
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Cite this Entry

“Bootlick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlick. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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