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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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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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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But the food justified every rave review, hour-long wait for a table, and fawning Instagram image.
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There were no megastars to fawn over.
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“Apple-polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polish. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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