as in to flatter
to praise too much
a candidate who knows that you have to massage the voters if you want to get elected
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of massage
Some bridesmaids prayed, others massaged her head, while others burned Palo Santo and turned to natural remedies.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
When your shoulders ache or feel stiff, your first instinct might be to stretch or massage them.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The bamboo is wedged into a workbench, the chef drapes one leg over the far end, and bounces up and down to massage the dough.
—Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for massage
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
When your shoulders ache or feel stiff, your first instinct might be to stretch or massage them.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The bamboo is wedged into a workbench, the chef drapes one leg over the far end, and bounces up and down to massage the dough.
—Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for massage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for massage
Verb
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The butt-flattering pants look like chic trousers but feel like sweats, and don’t have any bulky design details.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
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The style makes your legs look longer and flatter your hips thanks to the high-rise waistline.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
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Allen has created a hall of mirrors, then, in which we’re supposed to stroke our chins and perhaps wink-wink at Baum’s meta commentary about the dangers of confusing the artist with the man … But so what?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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His unique style made his work a major influence on art house cinema including American filmmakers Gus van Sant and Jim Jarmusch, who have praised his vision.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Don’t be afraid to praise good work — doing so sets a tone that turns routine collaboration into something people enjoy.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some buttering up in your prompt can likely produce this.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Enter Rutte, who knew Trump from his time as Prime Minister, and who got to work buttering up the American president.—
Tom Nagorski,
Time,
18 July 2025
Verb
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Pop icon Justin Bieber publicly congratulated him, leading to the development of a friendship between the two.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk — who knows a little something about landing a 900 — congratulated Ovechkin on the milestone.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Joey McGuire pulled Morton toward him and whispered something to his quarterback, who then puffed his chest and went forward with the postgame conference.—
Ty Kaplan,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
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This whiskey can, of course, be enjoyed without puffing on a cigar—that part of the ritual is completely optional—but it was made very intentionally by master blender Nancy Fraley and master distiller John Schrepel.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Massage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/massage. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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