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
  • And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Just as Wolverine is surrounded, he’s saved by Mystique, who’s shape-shifted herself into one of Trask’s minions.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • Hickey surrendered three guns, a bow, blinds, decoys, 115 pounds of turkey meat and 47 turkey fans.
    — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The scrutiny at the club is like no other, the media attention can be smothering and the level expected from fans is so high.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of fan
Noun
  • The psychedelic sequence that follows, punctuated by three European henchmen tailing the girls in a black SUV, is funny enough.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Almost immediately upon showing up, Oliver’s character kills a henchman.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Brownnoser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brownnoser. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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