variants
also flunkey
or flunkie
1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
since I'm just the flunky who files his papers, I've no idea where he is
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
a rock star who saw through the phonies and the flunkies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 flunky
Tacoma is Seattle’s industrial flunky, the also-ran, the perennial embarrassment.
—
Caroline Fraser
june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
No matter what spec-chart flunkies might say about a car that merely hits 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, GT 63 proved as ferocious and exhilarating as any front-engine GT car available, whether German, Italian or English.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Jin and his other flunkies excuse themselves, but Tetsu keeps Botan there to question him.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 24 July 2024
By quieting the clamor among the offended Giants, Mays was not acting as a flunky for his white manager.
—Aram Goudsouzian / Made By History, TIME, 25 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for flunky
Caroline Fraser
june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
No matter what spec-chart flunkies might say about a car that merely hits 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, GT 63 proved as ferocious and exhilarating as any front-engine GT car available, whether German, Italian or English.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Jin and his other flunkies excuse themselves, but Tetsu keeps Botan there to question him.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 24 July 2024
By quieting the clamor among the offended Giants, Mays was not acting as a flunky for his white manager.
—Aram Goudsouzian / Made By History, TIME, 25 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for flunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flunky
Noun
-
Nonetheless, the two become close, to the degree that they are compared to Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Their society was hierarchical, with those below the caciques known as the nitaínos (elites), behiques (perhaps shamans), and the naborías (usually servants and commoners).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If there were a Cruelty Olympics, Trump’s sycophants would all be elbowing each other for the gold.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Mercury News,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The only character who seems entirely transparent is Frederik, who can’t hide his resentment of his second-class spousal status or his contempt for the sycophants and mediocrities who cling to his wife like barnacles.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At the slightest provocation, Ye bullies, hectors, and screams at everyone from Paris fashion-show lackeys to the mother of his child.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Netflix After Jake betrays Vince by tricking him into revealing his whereabouts to Mancuso and his lackey Babbitt (Chris Coy) to protect Vince's daughter Gen (Odessa Young) and get her to safety, Jake rushes to help Vince once again escape a vengeful Mancuso's clutches.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Trump’s ego and his lickspittles’ desire to feed it, should have nothing to do with commemorating the founding.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
California’s vulnerable House Republicans are a diverse gaggle that includes new blood and old-timers, a Trump antagonist and a Trump lickspittle.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After years of a 4-4-2 being the prevailing setup across Europe in the 1990s, former Manchester City assistant manager Juanma Lillo was an early exponent of the 4-2-3-1 system in the early 2000s during his time in Spain.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images Coding assistants have been some of the early winners of the generative AI rush, becoming the first real application type to attract a hefty number of paying users.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Like many digital beings, Reps, as Replika’s avatars are known, are engineered to be agreeable, nonjudgmental, and zealously supportive—i.e., suck-ups.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This draft meeting resembled a bully in the high school cafeteria seeking toadies — any veneer of scouting objectivity was shed.—
Michael Hurley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One year later, Nashville's become her biggest fan.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Fast and Free High-rise Tight 25-inch 5-pocket There’s simply no such thing as having too many pockets, as exhibited by these fan-favorite five-pocket leggings, which are currently $69.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flunky. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share