kowtow

verb

ˈkau̇-ˌtau̇ How to pronounce kowtow (audio)
Definition of kowtownext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 kowtow But opponents now say the plan kowtows to oil and gas interests who are lobbying hard for concessions, citing an already unstable state and international energy market. — Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 Under such circumstances, Taiwan would sooner or later kowtow to Beijing. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 11 Mar. 2026 After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtow
  1. fuss
  2. toady
  3. drool
  4. truckle
  5. bootlick
  6. submit
  7. fawn
Verb
  • The eagles fuss obsessively with their habitat, waddling around on their huge, scaly reptilian feet, moving sticks to and fro with their bony beaks.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of fuss
Verb
  • The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .
    — Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Hamlet’s toadying friends, the hangers-on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are Izzard’s own talking hands, popping up to face her like a pair of Muppets.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2024
Definition of toady
Verb
  • Beyond the seating area is the hotel shop with a vibrant range of pottery to drool over.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Who had broken a wrist on the back-yard flagstones, drooled cherry medicine down her sleeping face on the car ride back from the hospital.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.
    — David Samuels, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2013
Definition of truckle
Verb
  • 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
  • Call it the bootlicking trickle-down-effect.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlick
Verb
  • However, the action may not end at 11pm — deal sheets allow clubs to conclude signings two hours after the transfer window closes, provided the correct paperwork is submitted before the deadline.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • By Thursday evening, more than 60 people had been taken by ICE in Danbury, according to CT Students for a Dream, which tracks arrests based on video footage submitted by rapid response teams.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of submit
Verb
  • But in recent years, Romo has been criticized for his preparation, for cutting off Nantz mid-sentence, for fawning over Josh Allen and other quarterbacks and for seeming pollyannish at times.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a potentially lucrative space as Europe ramps up military spending, but not one engineered for fawning praise from the White House.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of fawn

Browse Nearby Words

kosher
kowtow
kowtowed
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“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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