brownnoser

noun

as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead surrounded himself with brainless brownnosers, so no wonder the company went down the tubes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brownnoser
  1. sycophant
  2. toady
  3. bootlicker
  4. suck-up
  5. lickspittle
  6. minion
  7. fan
  8. henchman
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
  • 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
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, 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
Definition of bootlicker
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • The film reviewing account has lent itself to Charli’s overt styling of herself as an arbiter of taste and an unabashed fan of pop culture.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Rangers fans will love reading a book written by a man who knows as much about this team as anybody, including Tom Grieve, current broadcaster Eric Nadel and former PR man John Blake.
    — Mac Engel July 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of fan
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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

brownies
brownnoser
brownnosers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brownnoser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brownnoser. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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