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
-
Facebook ads vilifying or praising various measures.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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In a post on X on May 29, Shriver marked what would have been Kennedy's 109th birthday by praising the court's ruling against efforts to rename the cultural institution.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Noun
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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
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To heat, microwave in short intervals, massaging the rice around in between.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
18 May 2026
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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
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The fawning didn’t get him very far.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
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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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Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
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Kennedy then mentioned her daughter and became emotional while commending her work.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Noun
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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
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Their friendship has even inspired fans to coin their names as a term of endearment.—
Grace Gavilanes,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
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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 9 Jun. 2026.
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