as in soft soap
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Dissimilar Words
as in sucking (up to)
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buttering up
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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
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 buttering up
Noun
-
Practical self-care items such as thick lotions, face masks and soft soaps that don’t irritate skin. Pragmatic.—
Ellen T. Meiser,
The Conversation,
5 Dec. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Streisand closed her speech by praising the global film community and the power of cinema to bring people together.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
-
Nevertheless, the White House sent a letter in early May after lawmakers gaveled out, praising Masterson and Hawkins for their leadership.—
Matthew Kelly
May 24,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Watch an encounter full of sweet talk, gaslighting and tension here.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t fall for compliments that don’t feel genuine, and don’t be afraid to confront whatever’s beneath someone’s sweet talk.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To heat, microwave in short intervals, massaging the rice around in between.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
18 May 2026
-
In October 2018, a student told her school counselor and then Hiner that Agan had come up behind her and started massaging her neck beneath her long hair.—
Holly McDede,
ProPublica,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The fawning didn’t get him very far.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With commencement season rapidly coming to a close, on Saturday, Sonoma State University was commending its graduates on their resilience.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
-
On March 24, the court passed a resolution recognizing and commending the Turning Point Academy of Granbury, a religious school set to open in the fall that is connected to the conservative Turning Point USA movement.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Cougar Town remains the quintessential Bill Lawrence show: the casual hangout vibes, the way the group keeps accumulating more ancillary members, the mean-spirited teasing that’s really endearment.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 May 2026
-
Their friendship has even inspired fans to coin their names as a term of endearment.—
Grace Gavilanes,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Alongside Cruise feeding and stroking his dying cat while walking around his mansion with his gut hanging out, there are shots of planes readying for battle and collapsing polar ice caps.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttering up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttering%20up. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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