as in licking
to strike repeatedly
vowed to curry the hide of the person who stole his wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of currying
In his place, acting President Delcy Rodríguez has been cautiously liberalizing the economy and courting foreign oil companies, while currying favor with Washington pragmatically and seeking relief from crushing sanctions.
—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.
—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
For instance, between 1875 and 1885, one Gilded Age railroad company spent approximately $500,000 (equivalent to approximately $15 million today) currying the favor of government officials each year.
—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
The event was a surreal mashup of soccer and favor-currying.
—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Soon, companies learn that success depends less on innovation or competition than on currying political favor.
—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.
—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
For instance, between 1875 and 1885, one Gilded Age railroad company spent approximately $500,000 (equivalent to approximately $15 million today) currying the favor of government officials each year.
—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
The event was a surreal mashup of soccer and favor-currying.
—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Soon, companies learn that success depends less on innovation or competition than on currying political favor.
—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for currying
Verb
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After milking, the cows would return themselves to their fresh pasture and spend the day grazing, snoozing, licking one another, and cooling off in the shade of pine trees.
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Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.
Verb
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Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
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Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico in September 2022 as a Category 1 storm, lashing once more a power grid that hadn’t been rebuilt from Hurricane Maria.
Verb
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Police officers responding to Leslie Martin’s call and separate reports of a break-in found Doug Martin hiding in a neighbor’s home.
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The film is a modern take on the creature horror film told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover that his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
Verb
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Ospreay struck Strickland, who responded by whipping a chain at him.
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Vargas is accused of repeatedly whipping the cab’s hood with a belt, denting it, cops said.
Verb
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Called up Thursday after signing as a free agent in April after recovering from March 2025 shoulder surgery, Grove made a memorable Rays debut — and was awarded the win for doing so.
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The Orioles aren't reinventing the wheel by doing that.
Verb
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Both Ghana and England will walk away with a point after Ghana managed to hold off England in a heart-pounding final few minutes of stoppage time.
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Each time, my heart would start pounding.
Verb
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Severe storms, flash flooding and extreme heat are battering parts of the Plains, Midwest and the South this weekend, threatening to disrupt World Cup fans, athletes and holiday travelers alike.
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The two were battering Sri Lanka together until Kerr was caught on the boundary.
Verb
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And while the titular ambulance chaser naturally holds court for six seasons (beating Breaking Bad by one), equally excellent turns by Jonathan Banks and Rhea Seehorn ensure this multi-award-winning series works as both the perfect prequel and a bingeable standalone drama.
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White won by a 2-point margin, beating Shaikh by just under 400 votes.
Cite this Entry
“Currying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/currying. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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