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
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
Nobody wanted to go there — well, except the oil and gas companies aching to root around for black gold, and their most loyal minions in high places.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 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
-
That’s a lot of parasites The parasites found spoke volumes, given how they were transmitted.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
-
They’re neutered, up to date on vaccines and microchipped, and they have been treated for parasites and fleas.—
Maryanne Dell,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Head coach Rob Edwards walked into a club in November with fans in revolt, players and coaches being booed and owners being told to leave.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After the game, Bauer returned the favor for those at the Pennsylvania ballpark, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans after entering his name into the Ducks’ record books.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toadies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toadies. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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