as in fawning
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Recent Examples of sycophancy
That’s the kind of conflict that has already led to frequent debates over how best to tune models to be agreeable and non-toxic without slipping into outright sycophancy by being relentlessly positive.
—
ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Politeness and adapting to someone’s communication style are not the same as sycophancy.
—Cody Turner, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
The second is that chatbots, which mimic emotional intimacy and tend toward sycophancy, warp how children forge their selfhood and relationships.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
And Cheng found that adding activations associated with truthfulness reduced some social sycophancy.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Politeness and adapting to someone’s communication style are not the same as sycophancy.
—Cody Turner, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
The second is that chatbots, which mimic emotional intimacy and tend toward sycophancy, warp how children forge their selfhood and relationships.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
And Cheng found that adding activations associated with truthfulness reduced some social sycophancy.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophancy
Noun
-
The fawning didn’t get him very far.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Wong says her journey has been rooted in a fundamental adoration for the pure impact of cuisine and the need to never forget the flavors that carved her family's path to their future.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
The feverish adoration of kolaches, originally a Czech creation brought to Texas by immigrants, is no coincidence at the historic Pearl.—
Colleen McNally Arnett,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Music will always be a uniting force, whether it's sung in our cars at the top of our lungs, or in houses of worship, or at football games or on the streets of Minnesota.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Armed guards must be posted in front of houses of worship.—
David Kay,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Sometimes it has been connected with Catholic nationalism; at other times it has been promoted as the opposite — as an antidote to the idolatry of the state.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
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Hyper-racial idolatry may be too competitive a field on the internet to cut through.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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As was the case with the white-and-green dress for her Pakistan tour, Elizabeth, in her fashion choices, sought not only to avoid giving offense but to offer symbolic ingratiation, and among the most fascinating garments on display are those representing diplomatic dressing.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Each chapter discusses a specific sales element, which includes such topics as goal setting, prospecting, ingratiation and listening tactics, empathy and much more.—
Larry D. Urish,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sycophancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophancy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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