as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sycophant
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Rewarding sycophants and punishing truth tellers, though, is one of the biggest mistakes leaders can make.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
He’s surrounded mostly by true believers and sycophants and able to engage somewhat freely in various forms of government dismantling and corruption.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 July 2025
Increasingly isolated and surrounded by sycophants, Erdogan will likely stick to his modus operandi: responding to any challenge by reflexively wielding the state’s punitive authority.
—Henri J. Barkey, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Adjective
He's surrounded by sycophants who bend to his will, and expects the same from people, institutions and countries outside his immediate circle.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Rewarding sycophants and punishing truth tellers, though, is one of the biggest mistakes leaders can make.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
He’s surrounded mostly by true believers and sycophants and able to engage somewhat freely in various forms of government dismantling and corruption.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 July 2025
Increasingly isolated and surrounded by sycophants, Erdogan will likely stick to his modus operandi: responding to any challenge by reflexively wielding the state’s punitive authority.
—Henri J. Barkey, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophant
Adjective
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People had called that earlier model irritatingly sycophantic, and the Raines would later suggest in their lawsuit that this quality had contributed to their son’s attachment to it.—
Vauhini Vara,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
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By August, Ars reported on cases where ChatGPT's sycophantic behavior had validated users' false beliefs to the point of causing mental health crises, and news of the aforementioned suicide lawsuit hit not long after.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This draft meeting resembled a bully in the high school cafeteria seeking toadies — any veneer of scouting objectivity was shed.—
Michael Hurley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s ego and his lickspittles’ desire to feed it, should have nothing to do with commemorating the founding.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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California’s vulnerable House Republicans are a diverse gaggle that includes new blood and old-timers, a Trump antagonist and a Trump lickspittle.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Like many digital beings, Reps, as Replika’s avatars are known, are engineered to be agreeable, nonjudgmental, and zealously supportive—i.e., suck-ups.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Others wore inflatable costumes, dressed as bumble bees, frogs, unicorns and a even minion.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
18 Oct. 2025
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Cederquist is one of scores of bad cops included in the book, as is one of his minions in the Stoughton crew, a guy named Calvin Butner.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After abruptly leaving the Chicago stop of her and Monica‘s The Boy Is Mine Tour, Brandy Norwood is explaining her exit and apologizing to fans.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
19 Oct. 2025
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Lorde and Charli ended the duet together, joyously dancing and swinging their admittedly very similar long, dark curls in a moment of intense catharsis for both the artists and their raucous fans.—
Rachel Scharf,
Billboard,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His henchmen quickly followed suit.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Over eight episodes, the brothers find themselves at the mercy of Mancuso — a former family friend — and his vicious henchmen, and they are forced to confront the emotional scars of growing up with an alcoholic father, who had gambled away his own restaurant.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The benzoquinones in those secretions are pungent to parasites and mosquitoes, and lemurs sometimes also ingest small amounts, suggesting a mix of topical repellent and internal deworming.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
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As depicted here, Gacy is a parasite latched onto a failing society.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sycophant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophant. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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