apple-polisher

noun

as in brownnoser
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead a transparent apple-polisher whose fulsome praise fooled no one

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polisher
  1. minion
  2. fan
  3. toady
  4. parasite
  5. sponge
  6. lickspittle
  7. sycophant
  8. bootlicker
Noun
  • Perhaps if this was any team other than the Yankees — where all of Hal Steinbrenner’s minions appear to have lifetime contracts — Aaron Boone’s status as manager would be coming under intense scrutiny about now.
    — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
  • The minions have appeared in six films since — three Despicable Me movies and, making the jump from sidekicks to stars, three Minions movies.
    — Taylor Swinton, Washington Post, 3 July 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • After the scorching heat of Paris Fashion Week Men’s, the heatwave returned, much like the fans and cooling devices at shows.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 10 July 2026
  • But the departure of those teams was good news for fans purchasing tickets this week for the quarterfinals.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of fan
Noun
  • Under Homelander’s rule, spineless toadies like The Deep would be the only remaining followers.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • His embrace of Trump‘s endorsement and refusal to admit that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election expose him as a toady.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of toady
Noun
  • Infected people experience symptoms from two days to two weeks after consuming food or drinking water containing the parasite.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Tolbert warns that food storage containers with lids should be cleaned regularly to prevent contamination from dust mites and other parasites, especially before refilling.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of parasite
Noun
  • The following foods should be washed and scrubbed thoroughly with a brush or sponge.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Available in 15 colors, the formula contains antioxidant vitamin C to prevent free radical damage, and features a convenient sponge applicator for smooth, precise application.
    — Tanya Sharma, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of sponge
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of lickspittle
Noun
  • In an undersized team that already shares a worldview, the silicon sycophant doesn't catch the blind spot.
    — Matt Poepsel, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Definition of sycophant
Noun
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlicker
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Apple-polisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polisher. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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