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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kowtow
How law firms kowtowed to an administration making unprecedented demands.
—
Ml Cavanaugh, Twin Cities, 20 July 2025
In light of the settlements, critics have argued that news networks and tech companies are kowtowing to Trump in order to preserve access to the White House and protect against retribution.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
That was part of a broader DeSantis attack against the House for kowtowing to liberal trial lawyers.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
On one side is a Senate GOP almost entirely representing lower-cost states that is tired of kowtowing to the House; on the other side is a handful of House members whose electoral wins gave Republicans the majority, and the ability to even write a party-line tax bill.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Ml Cavanaugh, Twin Cities, 20 July 2025
In light of the settlements, critics have argued that news networks and tech companies are kowtowing to Trump in order to preserve access to the White House and protect against retribution.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
That was part of a broader DeSantis attack against the House for kowtowing to liberal trial lawyers.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
On one side is a Senate GOP almost entirely representing lower-cost states that is tired of kowtowing to the House; on the other side is a handful of House members whose electoral wins gave Republicans the majority, and the ability to even write a party-line tax bill.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtow
Verb
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This was the mid 1980s and tandem skydiving hadn’t been popularized yet, so his father, Roger, adjusted accordingly by stuffing carpet padding into the leg pads to stop him from fussing.—
Angelina Liu,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Inside, Seán glanced briefly away from the television as the women fussed at Orla’s return.—
Anne Enright,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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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Symptoms may begin within minutes, which include heavy drooling—especially in cats—and redness on the skin and in or around the mouth.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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On day eight of his partial paralysis, Nini finally stopped drooling and could now walk gingerly.—
Tao Lin,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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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Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants.—
Michael Gerson,
Anchorage Daily News,
18 Mar. 2018
Verb
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Only 127 of Indiana's 351 public school districts — or 36% — submitted mandatory injury data for the statewide report.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
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It was seemingly first posted by an Instagram account called Washingtonian Problems (@washingtonianprobs), which said it was submitted anonymously by one of its members.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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