as in sycophants
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 bootlickers
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
These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlickers
Noun
-
Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
-
Trump’s worried sycophants probably know that the details of an eventual agreement likely do not matter very much at this point.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
-
This is simply an excuse used my Steven Miller and his minions at USCIS to not do the job they have been paid to do.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
-
The big baddies, their minions, and one evil dude.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
-
Trump and his underlings make Nixon and his henchmen seem like amateurs.—
Arthur Krystal,
New Yorker,
25 May 2026
Noun
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While some fans are packed in a music festival-like atmosphere against the main stage, others have found an empty patch of grass and are enjoying the screens from afar.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
-
From German dudes discovering Waffle House in the Deep South to Japanese fans experiencing chips and salsa overload in Texas, it's been absolutely beautiful seeing the guests of this great nation being exposed to the best parts of our culture stateside.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 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
-
The parasites prefer humid areas where temperatures are at least 77 F (25 C), and those days are increasing further north.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Many arrived underweight, with skin issues, extensive fur loss (suspected to be from being exposed to the weather and outdoor elements) and significant external and internal parasites.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bootlickers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlickers. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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