as in fussing
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 bootlicking
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
Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlicking
Verb
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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
-
Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
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The lawyer pulled up more than a dozen emails showing the once-budding actress fawning over the Oscar-winning producer and seeking his counsel like a father figure.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Surrounded by a gaggle of microphones, cameras and other recording devices, Caleb Wilson offered up a nugget that probably left fans of North Carolina’s NBA team drooling.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
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The dog, Russ, drowsed on the floor at his owner’s feet, drooling onto the tile.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Bootlicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlicking. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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