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
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
Modi’s refusal to kowtow to US pressure plays to his political brand built around the image of a strong leader helming an India that is focused on its own interests on the world stage.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
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
Modi’s refusal to kowtow to US pressure plays to his political brand built around the image of a strong leader helming an India that is focused on its own interests on the world stage.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtow
Verb
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Asparagus fern is very tolerant of indoor living, doesn't fuss too much about watering schedules, and can make do with less-than-ideal lighting conditions.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
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Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 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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Lowe, who is 6-foot-4, is the type of physical specimen that makes scouts drool.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
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But neither is drooling on your neighbor’s shoulder.—
Adam Cheung,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 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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Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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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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Many more have submitted their accounts in civil rights lawsuits aimed at slowing the operations.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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They were selected after submitting their White Castle stories.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Scarlet Darkness Floral Cottagecore Dress Romantics, cottagecore fans, and anyone who’s ever fawned over the cult-favorite Hill House Home nap dress should add the lookalike Scarlet Darkness Floral Cottagecore Dress to their carts immediately.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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The world has gotten a glimpse of the fawning, skeezy shamelessness of his famous hangers-on, but not enough to criminally implicate them.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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