bootlicker

noun

Definition of bootlickernext
as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead she's such a bootlicker that I don't take any of her compliments seriously

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 bootlicker The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity. — 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlicker
  1. sycophant
  2. lickspittle
  3. toady
  4. minion
  5. suck-up
  6. henchman
  7. flunky
  8. fan
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • In my view, we are no longer respected by our foreign allies, the poor are getting poorer, and his wealthy minions are getting richer at our expense.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
  • Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
Definition of suck-up
Noun
  • Almost immediately upon showing up, Oliver’s character kills a henchman.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 July 2026
  • And so does Jesse — particularly the latest installment, which sees the iconic henchmen find themselves as accidental stars in 1920s Hollywood.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of henchman
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunky
Noun
  • Kris Jenner Kim Kardashian Kylie Jenner Kylie reshared a tribute post from a fan account that posted a video of little Kylie dancing with her grandmother.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 July 2026
  • The Panini show may act as a tonic to Italian fans after Italy failed to make the tournament for the third World Cup in a row.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 July 2026
Definition of fan

Browse Nearby Words

bootlicked
bootlicker
bootlickers
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Cite this Entry

“Bootlicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlicker. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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