as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
the kind of office in which people feel they have to bootlick in order to get ahead
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Recent Examples of bootlick
Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants.
—
Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlick
Verb
-
Vodka just keeps things boozy without fussing too much with the flavor.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
Sleep regressions refer to periods when a baby who previously slept well suddenly begins waking frequently, fussing more, or resisting bedtime.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Verb
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So, Murdoch will probably join the others in kowtowing to the commander-in-chief.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
-
That was part of a broader DeSantis attack against the House for kowtowing to liberal trial lawyers.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Verb
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The Empire was a sinister, one-note shadow: faceless Storm Troopers, toadying fascistic generals, a cackling emperor, and of course Darth Vader, an enigmatic demon masked and cloaked in black.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His jaw wobbled unsteadily and a thin thread of spit drooled from the side of his mouth onto the counter.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
16 July 2025
-
Early signs include excessive panting, drooling, lethargy and weakness.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.—
David Samuels,
Town & Country,
18 Oct. 2013
Verb
-
There’s a risk in becoming too attached to these fawning A.I.s.—
Paul Bloom,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Now, with new music on the horizon and a run of live shows, excitement is revving up for a fresh set of viral moments to fawn over.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bootlick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlick. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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