as in praises
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butters up
Verb
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Cassidy praises Sturm Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy coached in the B’s organization for 15 years, the last six-plus as head coach in Boston.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026 -
The report includes a screenshot that appears to show Accurso engaging with a comment from an Instagram account that frequently praises Hamas and harasses Jews.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The center also has hydrotherapy chairs where athletes can lie as a jet of water, similar but much stronger than the jets in a jacuzzi, massages them.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Nov. 2025
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In a viral video shared on Instagram last Sunday under the username @whiskeytoller, the gray kitty can be seen hanging around his brother, Oakley, as his mom massages the injured area, doing his best to show his love and support.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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On the communication system that reaches everyone, Krispel congratulates cast and crew on a good show, reminds them that curtain is at 7 tomorrow, asks them to drive safely.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
4 Dec. 2025
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At the tip meeting, Sandy congratulates the interior team and, in so many gentle words, tells the deck team to do better.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ogilvie commends Randhawa for his proactive approach to bringing back Old Sugar Mill.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Clayton commends Salley’s vulnerability and offers her a rose to stay on her season.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His desire to lower rates is something the White House surely applauds.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Ethnomusicologist Donna Kwon applauds ENHYPEN’s commitment to the vampire lore, which has traditionally been tied to Eastern European culture.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
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Research shows the risk of stroke also rises this time of year, and strokes present differently than heart attacks.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Mia puffs up her body to look intimidating, as the googly-eyed statue stares back at her.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The wide-leg silhouette creates an effortlessly chic drape that flatters every stride through long travel days, while still looking structured enough for meetings and dinners.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
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The sleek, tapered shape draws the eye downward, creating a streamlined look that flatters your figure.—
Shelby Comroe,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Butters up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butters%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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