kowtowing 1 of 2

adjective

as in subordinate

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kowtowing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of kowtow
as in fussing
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

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 kowtowing
Verb
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 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 On Tuesday, Colbert claimed CBS management is kowtowing to Carr and showing a lack of corporate courage. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 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 Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation. — Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025 The secretary accused the AAP of kowtowing to corporate benefactors while ignoring the clear evidence that such vaccines are safe for children and can prevent serious illness. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtowing
  1. subordinate
  2. fussing
  3. servile
  4. fawning
  5. obsequious
  6. bootlicking
  7. subservient
  8. drooling
Adjective
  • So, no, the Chiefs don’t view it as meaningless so much as being subordinate to the real cause.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Those individual leases were subordinate to BDC’s ground lease, meaning Reitman’s group was responsible not just for reopening the theater but for maintaining and overseeing its existing tenancy structure.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of subordinate
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of servile
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 fawning
Adjective
  • For instance, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have become openly obsequious in sucking up to the DSA.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As a friend — her friends all know that Bobbi was singular — ever thoughtful, never obsequious, sometimes obstinate, always honest.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of obsequious
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 bootlicking
Adjective
  • For some Muslim intellectuals and travelers, Japan’s modernization and its victory over Russia was proof that Asian nations need not be subservient to Europe or abandon their own cultural traditions.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The club’s members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the doting and subservient staff.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Definition of subservient
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 drooling

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Cite this Entry

“Kowtowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtowing. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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