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
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Recent Examples of sycophants
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
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Laws mean nothing to Trump or his administration of sycophants.
—
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Laws mean nothing to Trump or his administration of sycophants.
—
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophants
Noun
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Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
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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.
Noun
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For example, a group of minions might be pretending to fight a group of Vikings on a movie set, or enough alien spaceships to fill the entire screen appear and shoot their lasers at once.
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And minions have taken over Wendy’s frosty machines with a new banana flavor.
Noun
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The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
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These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.
Noun
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Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
-
Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
Noun
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As whole house fans and swamp coolers can suck additional pollutants inside, the department recommends using air purifiers or air conditioners as alternatives when possible.
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Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing.
Noun
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Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods.
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Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.
Noun
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It is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated with either bacteria, viruses, parasites or a harmful toxin.
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Only in these United States can the progeny of people once portrayed as parasites and invaders side with those making the same argument about the latest batch of newcomers.
Noun
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Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
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For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
Cite this Entry
“Sycophants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophants. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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