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

Relevance

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 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 The public demand was made based on a social media post from right-wing journalist Laura Loomer, who pointed to a video in which Rice vowed to hold companies accountable for kowtowing to Trump if Democrats regain power in the federal government. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 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
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 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
  • Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Video released by the Milwaukie Police Department shows Descamps sprawled in a hospital bed, his body limp, moaning and drooling, while medical staff stood nearby.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 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
  • Drop it off in person Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, states have been working to educate voters about submitting ballots by mail earlier or returning them in drop boxes all year.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Everything submitted in Spanish must be accompanied by a translation into English that must be done by a person, not an automatic online translator.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of submit
Verb
  • In Agamemnon’s memory, Clytemnestra is as soft as Helen is hard, as fawning as Helen is resentful.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
  • Fuentes enjoyed a brief flare of mainstream publicity last year, culminating in a fawning interview with former Republican kingmaker and broadcaster Tucker Carlson.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of fawn

Browse Nearby Words

kosher
kowtow
kowtowed
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on kowtow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kowtow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All