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butter

noun

ˈbə-tər How to pronounce butter (audio)
Definition of butternext
as in flattery
excessive praise a junior exec who was laying on the butter so thickly that her colleagues were ready to gag

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butter
  1. flattery
  2. praise
  3. soft soap
  4. sweet talk
  5. adulation
  6. acclaim
Noun
  • The message underneath the flattery is more consequential since Somaliland is no longer simply making a historical or moral case for recognition.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But Ridgeway pushes on, trying various means — flattery, insults, amateur psychology — to cajole her into delivering a new Ripley book.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of flattery
Noun
  • John Leguizamo, who earned praise for his performance in Universal’s summer blockbuster The Odyssey, is returning to the studio for its big-screen take on Miami Vice.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Both thanked the filmmakers, and let Chad Smith, also present, say a few words of praise.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of praise
Noun
  • People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.
    — Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
  • Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
Definition of soft soap
Noun
  • Really, what writer, no matter how detached from their past, could resist that kind of sweet talk?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Watch an encounter full of sweet talk, gaslighting and tension here.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of sweet talk
Noun
  • This adulation is all Fujino needs to take Kyomoto under her wing, and soon the two are inseparable, collaborating on strips where Fujino writes the stories and draws the figures while Kyomoto does the backgrounds.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Djokovic will have cheers about as loud as the ones that will be heard for the Americans Shelton and Fritz, the type of adulation that often fizzles before the ultimate prize.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of adulation
Noun
  • Lucien Smith, a multidisciplinary artist who garnered national acclaim in the 2010s, has died at 37.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • For decades, Okonedo has worked consistently and to great acclaim.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of acclaim
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.

Phrases Containing butter

Browse Nearby Words

butted (on or against)
butter
buttered up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Butter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butter. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on butter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butter

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