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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bootlick
Its mission was to upset hierarchies, not reinforce them, and few things were more offensive to comedians than bootlicking.
—
Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants.
—Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants.
—Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlick
Verb
-
No need to fuss-up something that's just as delicious prepared simply.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
-
Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.—
Darren Cooper,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Familiarize yourself with common signs of heat intolerance, such as excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, weakness or blueish gums.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
-
During the campaign, most of Trump’s fallen rivals blasted him in exceptional terms—before truckling to support him against Hillary Clinton.—
James Fallows,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2017
Verb
-
But the exhibition and the scholarship, though occasionally a bit fawning, show why the value of Lewis’s art doesn’t hang on these distinctions.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
The comments section fawned over the clip.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlick. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
