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

His stature will prevent draftniks from fawning over him, and even opponents aren’t immune to underestimating him in person.

— Antonio Morales, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Naturally, the Venice Film Festival was swiftly fawning over George Clooney on Wednesday, as the Oscar-winning star arrived (via boat, of course) to pick up his Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of fawn

Verb

But the league needs to protect its players, and be careful not to kowtow too much to its critics.

— Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of kowtow

Verb

Inside, under flickering lights, a group of reluctant strangers is coaxed into acting out, in a converted gymnasium, a wild tale promising redemption from agonizing tragedy.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
The hard-throwing righty then coaxed a soft grounder from Luis Arraez to secure his third save of the season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of coax

Verb

Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins).

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
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

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

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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 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of suck (up to)

verb

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