sycophants

noun

plural of sycophant
as in toadies
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

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.
Recent Examples of sycophants For its sycophants, LIV Golf was a new flavor in the vanilla world of professional golf. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Our state is under siege by the skilled sycophants who surround the president and use his base desires as cover for their own destructive agendas. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026 And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups. — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026 Trump’s worried sycophants probably know that the details of an eventual agreement likely do not matter very much at this point. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026 Who wants to stand with him, other than the sycophants in his Cabinet and party? — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026 Republicans in Congress have become spineless sycophants to a president who only sees the beauty of this country in dollar signs. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026 Will any other sycophants in his cult get the message? — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophants
  1. toadies
  2. minions
  3. bootlickers
  4. lickspittles
  5. fans
  6. henchmen
  7. parasites
  8. flunkies
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of toadies
Noun
  • There are references to demons, being burned alive, and the duende king explicitly commands his minions to kill Jo and Raissa.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Musashi becomes part of a crew that fights the Genma and Yoshitsune’s minions.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of minions
Noun
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlickers
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of lickspittles
Noun
  • Bryan pushed back at the time, arguing that the song spoke to both sides of the aisle and urging fans not to let social media narratives divide them.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
  • With choreography from frequent collaborator Sean Bankhead, the visuals felt like a return to form, one that fans had long been anticipating.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • One of the villain’s henchmen was a small, shaggy blue creature with a long drooping snout and a sour expression that lived in a cigar box.
    — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Bird himself provides the voices for Xavier’s alien henchmen, Gunsol and Musker.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of henchmen
Noun
  • Continue reading … BROKEN COVENANT — Javier Milei blasts UN as 'useless' den of 'fatally arrogant parasites' in raucous speech.
    — , FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Analyzing mosquito waste showed the presence of viruses along with other parasites.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of parasites
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunkies

Browse Nearby Words

sycophantically
sycophants
syllabi
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sycophants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophants. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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