SUCK (UP TO) Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

suck (up to)

verb

Definition of suck (up to)

as in to fawn

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up to)

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

Verb

The decision has led to accusations that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has kowtowed to Trump, who last year won FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, prompting European lawmakers to call for an investigation into how the prize was awarded, Le Monde reported.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Yet at the deadline, Frank said the quiet part out loud about how the Clippers used to build the roster to kowtow to Leonard, but the time for those maneuvers was over.

— Law Murray, New York Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of kowtow

Verb

Arsenal want to do that in a range of ways — in personnel, stylistic development, and by coaxing more from their current group.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Last year, Ian Stamy took the state prize for his bumper soybean yield, coaxing an average of just over 100 bushels per acre from his operation in central Pennsylvania.

— Scott Neuman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of coax

Verb

These packages, which often run into thousands of dollars, attract many celebrities and corporate buyers who see the Games as a chance to butter up clients or reward top performers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
As the lots rolled by, Mosoff watched quietly, still fortified by the exclusive tasting laid on to butter up bidders prior to the action.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026

Definition of butter up

Verb

Chef Albert was a restaurateur trying to wheedle a good review out of a tough restaurant critic.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday.

— Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026

Definition of wheedle

Verb

In the clip, Bottomley’s character can be seen cajoling Howells’ Taylor into having a drink and letting loose at a house party.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
The Oscar winner cajoles a reluctant LookingGlass, who plays Amziah’s former foster child Kateri, into singing along.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of cajole

Verb

After the September 2025 shooting, law enforcement said the social media companies were slow to produce information about the shooter's online profiles, which included posts idolizing of other mass shooters.

— Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
That era of Disney Channel was full of new movie soundtracks to play, dance moves to learn, and stars to idolize.

— Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of idolize

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Browse Nearby Words

suck-ups

suck (up to)

sucky

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“Suck (up to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%20to%29. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of suck (up to)

verb

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