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

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
Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of drooling

Verb

While most voters tell us their biggest concern is affordability, a new issue has entered the chat, taking up an outsized amount of space on the campaign trail, on the airwaves, and in party war rooms.

— S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
Yet Texhibition Istanbul itself has been holding steady, taking up five halls while other exhibitions around the world were shrinking.

— Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 16 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 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sucking (up)

verb

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