as in sycophants
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
having surrounded himself with fawners who gave him only good news, the governor had no idea of the true state of affairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawners
Noun
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Will any other sycophants in his cult get the message?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026 -
To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pete Crow-Armstrong dashed from third base, tapped the plate and then darted to the fans behind home, jumping on the railing against the netting to celebrate the Chicago Cubs’ walk-off, extra-innings, 2-1 win over the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Frost Bank Center in San Antonio was decked out with the Spurs’ 1990s-era logo and colors and the fans had matching bright shirts to match.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
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Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nobody wanted to go there — well, except the oil and gas companies aching to root around for black gold, and their most loyal minions in high places.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Israel is also a part of the ceasefire but was subjected to a last-minute barrage of missile attacks today from Iran and its minions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After several unsuccessful ploys by his henchmen to save his life — including one that would be attempted post-hanging — Cardinella was down to one last try.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Longtime Silversea devotees will notice subtle changes, such as smaller charcuterie boards and dinner menus at La Terrazza.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
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But outside of the horror community and cult-movie devotees, there’s still ample misunderstanding about what Faces of Death really is — and that’s not likely to be remedied by the arrival of Daniel Goldhaber’s 2026 film, Faces of Death, now hitting theaters after a lengthy postproduction delay.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fawners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawners. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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