1
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a young lieutenant constantly sucking up to the commanding officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
I'd like to give my boss a birthday present, but I don't want to look like a shameless suck-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suck (up)
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
Sara Fischer, Dave Lawler Dec 23, 2024 - Politics & Policy
Media's suck-up moment
Fearing political retribution and strained by new business challenges, media companies that once covered President-elect Trump with skepticism — and in many cases, disdain — are reconsidering their approach.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Office suck-ups, popularized by television characters like Dwight Schrute in The Office and Tom Wambsgans in Succession, typically take their cues from those in charge.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
Still, gossip mongers and suck-ups won’t go away unless managers remove the incentives to such behavior, while rewarding positive actions like collaboration.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
As a shameless suck-up with a remarkable ability to fail upward, Tom is on track to conquer the world.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
Noun
But the joke’s on us — Republican senators, who are the only players with any real power to stop them, have simply decided not to, all so that President Camacho can play at government with his favorite suck-ups.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
Sara Fischer, Dave Lawler Dec 23, 2024 - Politics & Policy
Media's suck-up moment
Fearing political retribution and strained by new business challenges, media companies that once covered President-elect Trump with skepticism — and in many cases, disdain — are reconsidering their approach.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Office suck-ups, popularized by television characters like Dwight Schrute in The Office and Tom Wambsgans in Succession, typically take their cues from those in charge.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
Still, gossip mongers and suck-ups won’t go away unless managers remove the incentives to such behavior, while rewarding positive actions like collaboration.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
As a shameless suck-up with a remarkable ability to fail upward, Tom is on track to conquer the world.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up)
Verb
-
Inside, Seán glanced briefly away from the television as the women fussed at Orla’s return.—
Anne Enright,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
-
But other times, windows would be rearranged seemingly at random, with unused space and weird gaps that require you to fuss around and move all your windows around again.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Verb
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This is more likely to happen if you're not used to high-fiber meals or don't drink enough water.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The technical execution is solid, the flavor profile is compelling, and the structure suggests this will drink well for the next year or two.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That capacity to absorb disruption and adapt under pressure is what keeps individuals functioning during personal crises.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
In addition to absorbing Highsmith’s $5.6 million expiring contract, the Nets acquired an unprotected 2032 second-round pick from Miami while sending a 2026 second-round pick, protected from No. 31 to No. 55, to the Heat, per the team.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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He’s surrounded mostly by true believers and sycophants and able to engage somewhat freely in various forms of government dismantling and corruption.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
-
This is not the summer Trump and his sycophants had planned.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Alice killing Jane gets its own paragraph: After awkwardly running like Taylor Swift in that treadmill commercial, Alice hops over Jane, grabs her by the throat, and feeds her to a drooling wolf.—
Wolfgang Ruth,
Vulture,
1 May 2025
-
Symptoms may include excessive panting, glazed eyes, lethargy, drooling, vomiting, or confusion.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
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What happened to the idea that art and culture should be a contemptuous refuge from the mainstream, as opposed to this lickspittle, running dog accommodation to the mainstream?—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
3 June 2022
Verb
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People still sleep on the streets and panhandle at intersections, and city leaders frequently face pressure to kowtow to special interests.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 July 2025
-
So, Murdoch will probably join the others in kowtowing to the commander-in-chief.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
-
Courtesy of Lucasfilm On an isolated farm at the outer reaches of a fascist empire, a mid-level government toady interrogates his victims.—
Jake Kleinman,
Wired News,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suck (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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