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
Noun
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Piled high into a thick, split-top bun, the tender chunks of lobster meat are mixed with a just-right amount of mayo (or with warm butter, if that’s your preference) and served with potato chips.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
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The seasonal menu leans into Southern ingredients and sustainability, with dishes like Carolina trout with lemon-dill butter or seared scallops over risotto.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 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
Noun
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Auntie is a term of endearment, a reference to the mom-aged woman young people like being around.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
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Through her storytelling and focus on intentional design choices, Markle encourages viewers to consider how their homes reflect their heritage, values, and personal histories, and how to use their spaces to express themselves as well as build connection and endearment with loved ones.—
Britney Porter,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For soft-skill matters such as advice, sycophancy in AI chatbots can be especially dangerous, Cheng said, because there's no certainty about whether its guidance is sensible.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
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Marco Rubio’s and Pete Hegseth’s brainless sycophancy.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman has announced an internal investigation into a November police shooting that killed a mother and her baby, while applauding the officer who fired the fatal bullets.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Some Jewish groups are applauding the effort.—
Jeff Zeman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the hours, even days, after the best Royals season in a decade, an array of flattering messages flooded the phone of manager Matt Quatraro.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 Mar. 2025
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Other Amazon shoppers are taking note, too, because the dress has an impressive 6,000 perfect ratings and 1,200 five-star reviews, with teachers and wedding guests alike sharing how comfy and flattering the dress is to wear to almost any occasion.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Mar. 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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