suck-ups

noun

plural of suck-up
as in sycophants
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

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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 suck-ups The implication is that American troop positioning throughout Europe will go to the biggest suck-ups. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 22 Aug. 2026 Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck-ups
  1. sycophants
  2. toadies
  3. lickspittles
  4. minions
  5. bootlickers
  6. flunkies
  7. parasites
  8. fans
Noun
  • And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Definition of sycophants
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of toadies
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of lickspittles
Noun
  • Just as Wolverine is surrounded, he’s saved by Mystique, who’s shape-shifted herself into one of Trask’s minions.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of minions
Noun
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlickers
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunkies
Noun
  • Caused by parasites spread via Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria can cause symptoms including nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In mid-May, India’s chief justice made some comments comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of parasites
Noun
  • Heads of state, parents of book recipients, music fans, movie fans and, like me, women who felt blessed to have had such a glamorous role model publicly mourned the loss.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thank you for the memories, the friendship, and for bringing joy to generations of fans.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fans

Browse Nearby Words

suck-up
suck-ups
suck (up to)
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Cite this Entry

“Suck-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck-ups. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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