Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up to)
Verb
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Instead of supporting allies in NATO and Ukraine against aggressive Russian territorial expansion, the United States has proposed drastic cuts to defensive military support measures and played fawning host to Vladimir Putin.—
Time,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025 -
But there were – among the fawning compliments and the conviction an elusive peace was near – bits of good news for Ukraine.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But coaxing nematodes is tricky and time-consuming, so Ortega-Jiménez collaborated with Ranjiangshang Ran, a postdoc studying fluid mechanics at Emory University, who ran computer simulations of thousands more jump trajectories.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
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Amidst the pandemic, sitting down at my machine was one reliable way of coaxing order from chaos.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
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Pushback by viewers in Sinclair and Nexstar’s ABC markets, and the perception that the companies are kowtowing to the FCC chairman’s anti-liberal ideology, could be a factor to lead the companies to relent.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But, rather than give up, Azel became a pickleball advocate, tirelessly educating, lobbying and cajoling politicians, park directors and anyone else who would listen about the incredible growth of the sport nation-wide.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
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Touches five and six are merely the cajoling preamble to the pièce de résistance, aka touch seven, a piercing through ball which splits defender Goncalo Inacio and backtracking forward Geny Catamo like a warm bread knife through a ciabatta roll straight out of Mama’s oven.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sucking (up to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%20to%29. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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