as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
you can try kowtowing to the boss, but he'll see right through you
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Recent Examples of kowtow
But Thibodeau was never interested in being Tony La Russa and kowtowing to Reinsdorf or the management team of Gar Forman and John Paxson.
—
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Two years ago, she got fired from her $196,551 hack sinecure at the Cannabis Control Commission for not sufficiently kowtowing to the woke mob.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
According to Filomeno Aguilar, Jr, once the Europeans were gone, the hacenderos kowtowed to the Americans, offering the island as a protectorate in the hopes of securing favorable access to the lucrative US market for their sugar.
—JSTOR Daily, 19 Nov. 2025
However, LeafSpring's developer, Randy Bufford, isn't ready to kowtow to community pressure.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Two years ago, she got fired from her $196,551 hack sinecure at the Cannabis Control Commission for not sufficiently kowtowing to the woke mob.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
According to Filomeno Aguilar, Jr, once the Europeans were gone, the hacenderos kowtowed to the Americans, offering the island as a protectorate in the hopes of securing favorable access to the lucrative US market for their sugar.
—JSTOR Daily, 19 Nov. 2025
However, LeafSpring's developer, Randy Bufford, isn't ready to kowtow to community pressure.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtow
Verb
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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Predators respond with head shaking, gaping, drooling, and frantic licking.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
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Chewing on the bulbs can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, profuse drooling and burns to the mouth.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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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
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Its mission was to upset hierarchies, not reinforce them, and few things were more offensive to comedians than bootlicking.—
Robert Lynch,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plans submitted by the president say that the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is an eyesore that has long been criticized and has fallen into disrepair since its completion.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The auction allocates securities based on the bids submitted, with primary dealers often purchasing a significant share and then distributing those securities in the secondary market.—
Colin Dodds,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And if fawning over flora is your thing, a new report by online casino Spinblitz might inspire you to book a getaway.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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Bondi fawned over Trump in a way unbefitting the nation’s chief law-enforcement officer.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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