as in sycophants
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
no one liked the office toady, who spent most of her time complimenting the boss on what a great job he was doing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in fusses
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a satirical novel about an amoral go-getter who toadies his way to the top of the corporate ladder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of toadies
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
And his toadies that go along with him are -- are subscribing to that.
—ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Naturally his reliable Republican toadies lined up to support him.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 8 Aug. 2025
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
And his toadies that go along with him are -- are subscribing to that.
—ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Naturally his reliable Republican toadies lined up to support him.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toadies
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Your president and his minions spread war, chaos, lies and economic instability.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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
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
Noun
-
Key witnesses in the government’s case included Spann’s top henchmen, who cooperated with prosecutors in hopes for leniency.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This is potentially disastrous, given that Josh is now in the custody of the chairwoman’s henchmen.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
-
After being tested for airtightness, helium was pumped into the glass enclosure through thin tubes inserted into the lead lining, to protect the document from corrosive oxygen and parasites.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
Always wear gloves before handling nests to protect yourself from any germs or parasites.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
The bulk of the fans who remained after Detroit’s blowout Game 7 loss at Little Caesars Arena were there for the Cleveland Cavaliers after being bussed in by owner Dan Gilbert.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toadies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toadies. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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