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
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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
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
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
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
-
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
Noun
-
There are shooting options connected with Universal’s app, where selections include firing off steel spheres, fireballs and, as minions would have it, bananas.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Watch for Kara's intense ocular heat ray blasts and some fancy flying while she and Lobo battle Krem and his minions off-Earth.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or a suck-up move to the Trump administration and its ridiculous claims against the media?—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Like many digital beings, Reps, as Replika’s avatars are known, are engineered to be agreeable, nonjudgmental, and zealously supportive—i.e., suck-ups.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers argued that career anxiety under autocracy creates both pro-regime henchmen and anti-regime plotters.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Photos highlight artist performances, fan reactions and standout moments from the Main Stage, Worldwide Stage, Megastructure, The Cove, Live Stage, UMF Radio and Oasis, with major sets from Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren and others drawing some of the day’s biggest crowds.—
Miami Herald newsroom,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
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In the decades since the Dodgers switched coasts, dozens of pro sports teams have changed cities, and for many fans, the experience is devastating.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlicker. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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