as in to appease
often disapproving
to gain favor or approval for (yourself) by doing or saying things that people like
She has tried to ingratiate herself with voters by promising a tax cut.
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Recent Examples of ingratiate
Machado, who is living in exile, has done her best to ingratiate herself with the administration, even offering to give her Nobel Peace Prize to the president.
—
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
The shot was redirected home by Marchment, ingratiating him with his new chums.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
Private phone calls, texts or messages — where reporters try to ingratiate themselves with sources who may not otherwise be inclined to give information — are inherently different.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025
In a matter of days, Adam ingratiates himself with each member of the Tanner clan.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ingratiate
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
The shot was redirected home by Marchment, ingratiating him with his new chums.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
Private phone calls, texts or messages — where reporters try to ingratiate themselves with sources who may not otherwise be inclined to give information — are inherently different.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025
In a matter of days, Adam ingratiates himself with each member of the Tanner clan.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ingratiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingratiate
Verb
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But that hasn’t appeased protesters at demonstrations throughout Los Angeles County.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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The food finally lands with the guests, their dumb whims having been appeased.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Our law enforcement took care of the child, got him McDonald’s and played him his favorite music to comfort him.—
Elizabeth Zavala,
San Antonio Express-News,
31 Jan. 2026
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Trump has a video conference with French First Lady Brigitte Macron to discuss initiatives to end cyberbullying, meets with Queen Rania of Jordan to discuss helping foster children and comforts former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His older brother, Thanasis, consoled him and grabbed his brother’s hand, but Giannis’ eyes remained locked to a spot on the floor.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Heads hung low, players consoling one another or screaming obscenities at no one in particular, the care factor off the charts.—
Mirjam Swanson The Orange County Register,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ingratiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingratiate. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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