fawn

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fawn distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of fawn are cower, cringe, toady, and truckle. While all these words mean "to behave abjectly before a superior," fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

When is it sensible to use cower instead of fawn?

The meanings of cower and fawn largely overlap; however, cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

When might cringe be a better fit than fawn?

While the synonyms cringe and fawn are close in meaning, cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

When would toady be a good substitute for fawn?

The synonyms toady and fawn are sometimes interchangeable, but toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

When is truckle a more appropriate choice than fawn?

Although the words truckle and fawn have much in common, truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

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 fawn But this newsletter is more focused on how Trump and his fawning functionaries speak about and for him. Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 Their Instagram announcement—a carousel of the couple's lavish garden engagement photoshoot—has been liked more than 35 million times since it was posted on August 26, with Swifties around the world fawning over the singer's gigantic ring. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 President Bill Clinton gave a speech about the historic moment, but the media coverage was not uniformly fawning. F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025 Ice Spice takes the baton, rapping about how her figure and beauty always keep the guys fawning over her every word. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for fawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawn
Verb
  • With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Others might tell you that hosting an awards show is a thankless gig, but Bargatze doesn’t seem fussed.
    Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Flores will drool across the Irish Sea this week at the thought of welcoming a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start.
    Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Keong says these pillow protectors slide easily over her puffiest pillows, wash up well at the laundromat, and help prevent her new pillows from getting too drooled-on to be presentable for overnight guests.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Empire was a sinister, one-note shadow: faceless Storm Troopers, toadying fascistic generals, a cackling emperor, and of course Darth Vader, an enigmatic demon masked and cloaked in black.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.
    Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • During the campaign, most of Trump’s fallen rivals blasted him in exceptional terms—before truckling to support him against Hillary Clinton.
    James Fallows, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2017
Verb
  • Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.
    Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Pushback by viewers in Sinclair and Nexstar’s ABC markets, and the perception that the companies are kowtowing to the FCC chairman’s anti-liberal ideology, could be a factor to lead the companies to relent.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawn. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

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