1
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a young lieutenant constantly sucking up to the commanding officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
I'd like to give my boss a birthday present, but I don't want to look like a shameless suck-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suck (up)
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up)
Verb
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Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
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No need to fuss-up something that's just as delicious prepared simply.
Verb
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Staying hydrated is also key, so make sure to drink plenty of water.
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The Tartan Army finally made it to Fenway, a sort of Loch Ness Monster meeting the Green Monstah, in time to watch the Texas Rangers beat the Red Sox 6-4, apparently drinking the Hub dry.
Noun
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In an undersized team that already shares a worldview, the silicon sycophant doesn't catch the blind spot.
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Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
Verb
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For Valentine's Day 2026, the retailer released a confetti glass icon candle that shoppers drooled over.
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Fighter Josh Hokit drooled at the weigh-in in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Verb
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Often, firming lotions are thick and leave a white cast, but this Olay option, which more than 30,000 buyers have picked up in the past month alone, is lightweight, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly.
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For decades, oceans have acted as the planet’s main heat sink, absorbing 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels.
Noun
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Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
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Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
Verb
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Part of what fascinated me about their presentation was not only their refusal to kowtow to male desire, which for decades had a stranglehold on rock aesthetics, but a concomitant disavowal of commercialism.
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What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.
Noun
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The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
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If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.
Cite this Entry
“Suck (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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