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
As the lots rolled by, Mosoff watched quietly, still fortified by the exclusive tasting laid on to butter up bidders prior to the action.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
Ben spends the afternoon buttering up Ellie and praising her cake-icing skills, and even gives her the task of decorating the wedding cake.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Some buttering up in your prompt can likely produce this.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
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
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
Ben spends the afternoon buttering up Ellie and praising her cake-icing skills, and even gives her the task of decorating the wedding cake.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Some buttering up in your prompt can likely produce this.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
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
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
-
Her voice, languid and honeyed, can glide over sensual R&B, bouncing reggaetón, shimmering pop or nostalgic jazz.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
Riquelme congratulated Pérez and accepted the result.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
Glashow passed the mic to Rosenthal, who began by congratulating director Quinn Whitney Wilson for the Netflix acquisition of the Tribeca Festival world premiere and her directorial doc debut, Jean-Michel Basquiat.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The responder then bends down to gently stroke the bird before getting another idea.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Mihyia Davis stroked the next pitch off Slimp’s glove in left for a double and Williams moved to third.—
Tim Willert,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Add chicken, seal bag, and massage to coat chicken.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
-
Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and gently massage the chicken to evenly coat with the marinade.—
Lexi Harrison,
Midwest Living,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Domingo praises Spielberg as a collaborator.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Tend details gently, and praise small consistent gains.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The orchestra lustily applauded like everyone else.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Her first winner of the match was cheered so loudly by the crowd that many spectators stood to applaud.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
City leaders commended the bravery of the emergency personnel who performed the search during large surf, powerful currents and limited underwater visibility.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Some commended the parks, including their staff and signage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Are they designed to flatter progressive sensibilities or provoke them?—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
The oversized sweater design with short sleeves creates a flattering silhouette that skims rather than clings.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Butter up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butter%20up. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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