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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up)
Verb
-
This was the mid 1980s and tandem skydiving hadn’t been popularized yet, so his father, Roger, adjusted accordingly by stuffing carpet padding into the leg pads to stop him from fussing.—
Angelina Liu,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Anyone who’s drinking hot pumpkin spice lattes in a chunky sweater may need to rein it in for a little while.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Sheen and Peele were on a plane and tensions were already high between the two — while Sheen started drinking heavily in his seat.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The drop in profit margins suggests businesses are absorbing higher costs driven by tariffs in their bottom lines.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Aveda Hand Relief Moisturizing Crème gets it right with a rich yet fast-absorbing formula that pairs glycerin and aloe vera for lasting hydration, while exfoliating lactic acid gently smooths rough patches.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Symptoms may begin within minutes, which include heavy drooling—especially in cats—and redness on the skin and in or around the mouth.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
-
On day eight of his partial paralysis, Nini finally stopped drooling and could now walk gingerly.—
Tao Lin,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Those with routines to follow will want to check out the slim, weekly pill organizer from Vaydeer, and the Fyy Daily Pill Organizer is also great for organizing multiple medicine shapes, sizes, and quantities without taking up too much space.—
Emily Belfiore,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
However, the mother of four — who shares daughters Luna and Esti and sons Miles and Wren with Legend — also told PEOPLE last year that her husband had been taking up more of the cooking load in their house.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Sucking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share