as in sucking (up to)
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in soft soap
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttering up
Noun
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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 -
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2024
Verb
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Work it into the fabric by massaging it with the pads of your fingers or by rubbing the fabric against itself.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Sep. 2025
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First, folks milk venom from snakes by massaging their venom glands into glass containers.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The butter, which has honey in it, raises a serious concern.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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But everyone knows that, like Labubus, butter yellow, and Benson Boone, this isn’t going to last.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The update sparked further discussion in the thread, with many praising the shopper for doing the right thing.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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While praising Vandersloot’s abilities and leadership, Reese balked at the prospect of building the roster around a point guard attempting to return from an ACL tear at age 36.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The odds are that such sweet talk is going to inevitably run out or at least be intermittent.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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From there, according to the report, the sweet talk quickly moves to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Google Chat or Telegram.—
Sunny Nagpaul,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Instead, Murphy drafted a resolution commending the students’ efforts and shared it with them.—
Teri Cadeau,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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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No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.—
Peter Boyd,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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In the black-and-white video, Kelly could be seen holding his baby's hand, stroking her fingers.—
Sarah Jones,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Buttering up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttering%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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