as in to honey
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
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Recent Examples of butter up
Some buttering up in your prompt can likely produce this.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 18 July 2025
Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images Anderson, currently a free agent, could be buttering up the Commanders to get a contract offer, but there is some truth to his statement.
—Victor Williams, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
Add butter and pulse in or use a fork to break butter up into pea-size pieces.
—Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 21 May 2025
In contrast, Tai — who eventually becomes a powerful lawyer as an adult — often relies on buttering up her witnesses and using courtroom theatrics to get her point across.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 18 July 2025
Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images Anderson, currently a free agent, could be buttering up the Commanders to get a contract offer, but there is some truth to his statement.
—Victor Williams, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
Add butter and pulse in or use a fork to break butter up into pea-size pieces.
—Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 21 May 2025
In contrast, Tai — who eventually becomes a powerful lawyer as an adult — often relies on buttering up her witnesses and using courtroom theatrics to get her point across.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butter up
Verb
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Her voice, languid and honeyed, can glide over sensual R&B, bouncing reggaetón, shimmering pop or nostalgic jazz.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
Verb
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In a statement on Monday, Johnson congratulated King on landing the gig.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Tiafoe has been one of Baptiste’s biggest fans and congratulates her often on social media.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
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Davidson, a 6-foot-1 freshman, stroked a perfect shot from the right side to send the Trojans (18-13) into a second-round matchup with top seed South Carolina on Monday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And for something more manual, The Skinny Confidential’s Le Spoon brings a gua sha–like approach to the body, designed to sculpt and massage the torso.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
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The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chief of Police Christopher Cook praised the collaborative effort and said the case required extensive investigation, strong partnerships and quick work by the department's investigative team.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Quercus in Gay, Georgia, was awarded Best New Hotel Design 2026 by Tablet Hotels, praised for its distinctive blend of regenerative farming and 3,800 acres of forest and pasture.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The decision infuriated local opponents, who have applauded selectmen’s decision in mid-March to authorize legal action to try to reverse the vote.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
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Riders cheered and applauded when the first train left the station.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The town clerk was commended by the Broward state attorney for excellence for updating, electronically scanning and categorizing town files after much neglect.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Jackson should be commended for taking a thoughtful step to strengthen consumer trust and the future of recycling innovation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Of the 2,400 who participated in the study, mostly preferred being flattered.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The present profit forecasts are being flattered by surging estimates for semiconductor and energy companies without yet reflecting any frictional effects of the massive jump in energy, chemical and shipping costs, nor the unhelpful rise in Treasury yields toward the top of their one-year range.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Butter up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butter%20up. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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