1
as in currying favor
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up)
Verb
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Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026 -
Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Danny is, once again, drinking and trying to hide it.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 June 2026
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In the 1990s, the soft drink company ran a promotion and a Super Bowl commercial that featured the Harrier as a prize for accumulating 7 million points by drinking Pepsi products.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
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In this, the mechanophore bonds selectively break under force, absorbing energy while keeping the surrounding area stable.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Dravecky is talented and confident on the puck, absorbing pressure well and completely unafraid to try things.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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In the other room, Kayda is entertaining Bryce and Zach, who are openly drooling, and the scene could not look more like Challengers if Zendaya were playing Kayda.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
4 June 2026
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This plant, also known as rose bay, may also cause drooling, abdominal pain, depression, colic and even death, according to the ASPCA.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Glasner’s two main assistant coaches, Michael Angerschmid and Ronald Brunmayr, had long since been responsible for set pieces but, earlier this year, that responsibility was shifted to Paddy McCarthy with greater success, resulting in the Irishman taking up the duties full time.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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While Elliott became the cast’s newest addition, Demi Moore was foregrounded as a major player, with her character Cami Miller taking up the mantle of MTEX CEO following her husband’s sudden death in Season 1.—
Kai Naima Williams,
Variety,
27 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sucking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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