SUCKING (UP) Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

sucking (up)

verb

Definition of sucking (up)

present participle of suck (up)

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

as in soaking (up)

to take in (something liquid) through small openings these lilacs sucked up all the water I added to the vase yesterday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up)

Verb

Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026

Definition of fussing

Verb

The officer, Michael Zerfas, testified that Oates had not been drinking, using drugs or on his cellphone.

— Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
The backstory For most of my life, the Old Dutch Inn has been just a faint memory of kicking my legs from a bar stool, drinking a Shirley Temple next to my late grandmother, who would likely have been nursing a gin and tonic.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of drinking

Verb

All three judges are basically drooling over how much pure quickstep content is in this routine despite some framework issues and the mistake at the end.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of drooling

Verb

In the context of Texas, these differences might not have mattered, since the Jews, like other citizens of the fast-growing state, were adept at absorbing immigrants.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
The agency spokesperson says that the anechoic chamber hadn’t been upgraded since 1997 and that its microwave-absorbing foam spires were crumbling.

— Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorbing

Verb

Some are banning their kids from taking up football; others defend it for building bonds and teaching life skills.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
This September, the facility welcomed 34 kits from seven litters, marking the most productive season in its 25-year history of taking up the project.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of taking up

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.

Browse Nearby Words

sucking in

sucking (up)

sucking (up to)

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Style

“Sucking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sucking (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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