as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sycophant
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Rewarding sycophants and punishing truth tellers, though, is one of the biggest mistakes leaders can make.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
He’s surrounded mostly by true believers and sycophants and able to engage somewhat freely in various forms of government dismantling and corruption.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 July 2025
And there is enormous pressure on GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, regardless of how many sycophants sell a different version of reality.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Adjective
He's surrounded by sycophants who bend to his will, and expects the same from people, institutions and countries outside his immediate circle.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Rewarding sycophants and punishing truth tellers, though, is one of the biggest mistakes leaders can make.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
He’s surrounded mostly by true believers and sycophants and able to engage somewhat freely in various forms of government dismantling and corruption.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 July 2025
And there is enormous pressure on GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, regardless of how many sycophants sell a different version of reality.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophant
Adjective
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When OpenAI and Anthropic evaluated each other's models over the summer, OpenAI reported Claude was less likely to engage in sycophantic and harmful behaviors than ChatGPT.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
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In addition, Kimmel got some hilarious help and cultural Kevlar from Robert De Niro played the new sycophantic head of the FCC to seal the deal — cause that’s how the pros do it.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This draft meeting resembled a bully in the high school cafeteria seeking toadies — any veneer of scouting objectivity was shed.—
Michael Hurley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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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Like many digital beings, Reps, as Replika’s avatars are known, are engineered to be agreeable, nonjudgmental, and zealously supportive—i.e., suck-ups.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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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
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Rapidly spreading its toxic influence across the lands, Magatsu and its minions are a world-ending threat, and the early tutorial bit sees players square up against the baddie only to ultimately lose.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Sep. 2025
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What made Armani’s designs so appealing to Ovitz and his minions wasn’t just their confident power-suit cut.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since buying the property in 2013, Swift has drawn fans to Bay Street, the village's main drag of clothing boutiques and ice cream counters, all checklist items on the Swiftie itinerary.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
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Every time a player gets hurt, many players and fans across the league start calling on the NFL to make changes.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Over eight episodes, the brothers find themselves at the mercy of Mancuso — a former family friend — and his vicious henchmen, and they are forced to confront the emotional scars of growing up with an alcoholic father, who had gambled away his own restaurant.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Sep. 2025
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In broad daylight, a presidential henchman openly threatened to inflict financial pain in retribution for speech the leader doesn't like.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Carr ends up tripping and falling down stairs, eating soup laced with Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive, and getting doused in cat feces, which leads to him contracting toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can be transferred to fetuses during pregnancy.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
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Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, according to the CDC.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sycophant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophant. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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