buttering up 1 of 2

noun

as in soft soap

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

buttering up

2 of 2

verb

present participle of butter up
as in sucking (up to)
to praise too much a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of buttering up
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
  1. soft soap
  2. praising
  3. sweet talk
  4. massaging
  5. fawning
  6. commending
  7. endearment
  8. stroking
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
Verb
  • And maybe praising the Lord, which also happened at the K Wednesday night.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Reviews were solid, with critics praising the plot twists and action sequences.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 16 July 2026
Definition of praising
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
Definition of sweet talk
Verb
  • Begin by massaging skin with a hydrating moisturizer and primer.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 3 July 2026
  • For a spa-like retreat, consider a home sauna or a massaging showerhead.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of massaging
Noun
  • Experts say that fawning is a stress response that some teens use to appease the people around them.
    — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 5 July 2026
  • The fawning didn’t get him very far.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Definition of fawning
Verb
  • Erdogan shook referee Bobby Madley’s hand and would not let go, commending him on his performance through an interpreter.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • Fans are commending Hathaway for owning the mistake, with many praising her for making the look her own.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of commending
Noun
  • Turns out, this is a term of endearment, not an insult.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 17 June 2026
  • Erinn referenced the same term of endearment in her Instagram post, which featured 20 photos of the couple throughout their relationship.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Definition of endearment
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
Definition of stroking

Browse Nearby Words

butteries
buttering up
butters up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buttering up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttering%20up. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All