as in flunkey
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 to fuss
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
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Recent Examples of toady
Kara Swisher, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
But at the end of the Cold War, state sponsors and their toadies lost ground.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
Gene Seymour, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023
Fox News has long been accused of peddling Trump’s falsehoods and toadying up to the former president.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for toady
Noun
As of this writing, tens of thousands of Americans in government roles have already been fired by Elon’s tech toadies.
—Kara Swisher, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
But at the end of the Cold War, state sponsors and their toadies lost ground.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
Verb
But without Logan’s presence, Tom’s penchant for toadying and betrayal has nowhere to play off. Get our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter.
—Gene Seymour, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023
Fox News has long been accused of peddling Trump’s falsehoods and toadying up to the former president.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for toady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toady
Verb
-
Helen bending at her wide waist, fussing again with the shoe, a cream leather high-top, cursing quietly under her breath, hair falling into her face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
As a storyteller, Tyagi isn’t too fussed about making his plot persuasive — the ease with which Nair and his co-counsel Dilreet Gill, played by Ananya Panday, manage to uncover evidence defies logic.—
Anupama Chopra,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Hitler surrounded himself with sycophants, had zero tolerance for dissent and demanded unwavering loyalty.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
Nobody advertises for sycophants, but often recruiting and interview processes can favor candidates who are agreeable and whose thinking doesn’t conflict with the status quo.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
That was part of a broader DeSantis attack against the House for kowtowing to liberal trial lawyers.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
-
On one side is a Senate GOP almost entirely representing lower-cost states that is tired of kowtowing to the House; on the other side is a handful of House members whose electoral wins gave Republicans the majority, and the ability to even write a party-line tax bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
-
What happened to the idea that art and culture should be a contemptuous refuge from the mainstream, as opposed to this lickspittle, running dog accommodation to the mainstream?—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
3 June 2022
Verb
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But Congress’ fawning compliance is not the most alarming development.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
2 July 2025
-
Throughout the footage, Leah, from Fort Worth, Texas, can be seen fussing Lunch Box and fawning over her sweet foster pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
9 June 2025
-
Her niftiest fight sequence looks like abstract art: a stark black-and-white aerial pan of her shadow battling minions down a hallway.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The signs of a dog that is overheating include unusually excess panting and rapid breathing, drooling, lethargy or disorientation, and if their gums are bright red.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
6 July 2025
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Panting, drooling, rapid heart rate and pale gums also point to the condition, and the dog may position its body in a downward-facing pose.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Malaparte, by then, was making his name as one of Mussolini’s highbrow henchmen.—
Thomas Meaney,
New Yorker,
2 July 2025
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The mosasaur has henchman spinosaurs – a nice touch – while a titanosaurus couple shares a loving moment (which gets interrupted by some pesky humans).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toady. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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