as in brownnosers
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-polishers
Noun
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Instead, his minions, so afraid of earning his wrath, have remained quiet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026 -
Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Also required is proof of a negative fecal test for internal parasites.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The drug, largely used to treat people or animals for infections caused by parasites, is a popular dewormer for horses.—
Rachana Pradhan,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The moans announced the doubt throughout Riviera’s 18th green amphitheater, a bowl full of thousands of fans unsure if the new guy could do it.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Of the 63% of international fans who attended the Games, the United States, at 14%, bought the second-most tickets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And his toadies that go along with him are -- are subscribing to that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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At his orders, cartel henchmen began setting fire to vehicles, gas stations and government buildings and blockaded major highways.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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During the ensuing gun battle between soldiers and cartel henchmen, Oseguera escaped.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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Not to mention the sponges, soaps, and other items cluttering up the sink area.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
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The key to the invention is Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)—synthetic, porous materials that act like advanced sponges.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polishers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polishers. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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