toadying 1 of 3

adjective

as in obsequious

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toadying

2 of 3

noun

as in fawning

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toadying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of toady
as in fussing
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toadying
  1. obsequious
  2. fawning
  3. fussing
  4. sycophantic
  5. sycophancy
  6. kowtowing
  7. servile
  8. worship
Adjective
  • For instance, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have become openly obsequious in sucking up to the DSA.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As a friend — her friends all know that Bobbi was singular — ever thoughtful, never obsequious, sometimes obstinate, always honest.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of obsequious
Noun
  • Experts say that fawning is a stress response that some teens use to appease the people around them.
    — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 5 July 2026
  • The fawning didn’t get him very far.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Definition of fawning
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Adjective
  • Billionaires cajole us left and right to surrender our cognitive function for the sake of convenience; AI slop operas serve up easy dopamine; sycophantic chatbots swaddle us in cocoons of false certainty.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Nowhere is this audience fragmentation clearer than in tech media, which is increasingly dominated by largely sycophantic media outlets owned by the decisionmakers themselves.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sycophantic
Noun
  • Mental health experts have voiced concerns about chatbots’ sycophancy, lack of clinical nuance, and ability to reinforce delusional beliefs.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Various studies have found chatbots' sycophancy drives engagement.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sycophancy
Verb
  • What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
  • After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of kowtowing
Adjective
  • Both appeared on stage in character as VP Selina Meyer and her servile assistant, Gary Walsh.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Definition of servile
Noun
  • In the north, worship centers on the goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Some walked hundreds of kilometers to establish places of worship far from the comforts of the world, spending years in prayer and contemplation before eventually being buried here.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of worship
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.

Browse Nearby Words

toady
toadying
toadyish
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Cite this Entry

“Toadying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toadying. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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