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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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026 -
The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Coconut lovers, prepare to drool.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
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What causes drooling There are numerous causes of drooling — some benign, others less so, experts say.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Heated Rivalry cast being fawned over by celebrities at a fancy Hollywood party?—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
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Infantino’s gesture might strike people unacquainted with World Cup history as shamelessly fawning.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polish. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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