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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Noem’s minions would defy and frustrate federal judges seeking basic information from DHS about the department’s compliance with court orders.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026 -
Instead, his minions, so afraid of earning his wrath, have remained quiet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Crustaceans are nibblers of plants, scavengers of carrion, and parasites of larger animals.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
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Further, co-author Thomas Wierzba, a professor of infectious diseases at Wake Forest School of Medicine, explains that ETVAX reduced moderate-to-severe diarrhea from viruses, bacteria or other parasites by 21 percent.—
Sahas Mehra,
Scientific American,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
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Zendaya first sparked wedding rumors last month when she was spotted with a gold band in place of her usual rock, though fans were unsure if the actor had simply turned her ring towards her palm or switched to a simpler ring to keep the real one safe.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 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
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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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House, a Kiwi familiar from various Taika Waititi projects including the recent TV adaptation of Time Bandits, is a constance source of unexpected danger, while Hughes, George Mason and Matuse all get good moments as her variably bumbling henchmen.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The Republican sycophants currently in office, out of fear, won’t stand up to him.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Feb. 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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Glass sponges build intricate, mesh-like skeletons out of silica — the same material used to make glass.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
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Kitchen sponges trap food particles and bacteria.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 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 18 Mar. 2026.
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