as in to curry favor
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polish
Verb
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As a storyteller, Tyagi isn’t too fussed about making his plot persuasive — the ease with which Nair and his co-counsel Dilreet Gill, played by Ananya Panday, manage to uncover evidence defies logic.—
Anupama Chopra,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025 -
Throughout the footage, Leah, from Fort Worth, Texas, can be seen fussing Lunch Box and fawning over her sweet foster pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Leaning over him, Mary drools into Stack’s mouth, her appetite soon his own.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
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The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends learning the signs of overheating in dogs such as excessive panting, restlessness, excessive drooling, unsteadiness, or abnormal gum and tongue color.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Celebrities on the publicity circuit who are accustomed to the usual techniques and tricks of interviewers—softball questions, fawning compliments—find themselves in a different and disconcerting dynamic.—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
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Not only was President Joe Biden in serious decline, Karine Jean-Pierre — celebrated in numerous fawning media profiles — was a rotten White House press secretary.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
6 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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