as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
the kind of guy who truckles to anyone who might present a lucrative opportunity
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Recent Examples of truckle
Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.
—
Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.
—David Samuels, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2013
During the campaign, most of Trump’s fallen rivals blasted him in exceptional terms—before truckling to support him against Hillary Clinton.
—James Fallows, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2017
Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.
—David Samuels, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2013
During the campaign, most of Trump’s fallen rivals blasted him in exceptional terms—before truckling to support him against Hillary Clinton.
—James Fallows, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truckle
Verb
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Williams never fussed about it, though and his relationships with many in the organization weren’t overly affected.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2025
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No crying or fussing or squirming.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Many of the university’s new policies have been seen by some critics as kowtowing to the Trump Administration.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
8 May 2025
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Zen and others view any warming of ties with Beijing as kowtowing to an officially atheist regime.—
Eryk Michael Smith,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But on forums like Reddit, resentment bubbles from those who have had their favorite television shows pre-empted, believe Ohtani may be tainted by a gambling scandal that landed his interpreter in jail, or just can’t bear the nonstop fawning.—
Ken Belson,
New York Times,
18 Mar. 2025
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To add insult to injury, the Academy fawned and buzzed over Clint Eastwood (back row, center, left of statue)’s American Sniper, nominating it for six Academy Awards.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Empire was a sinister, one-note shadow: faceless Storm Troopers, toadying fascistic generals, a cackling emperor, and of course Darth Vader, an enigmatic demon masked and cloaked in black.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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My baby mutters and drool drips down his chin from his new molar.—
Jessica Slice,
Time,
9 May 2025
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Collectors drool over the wrist watch from the ‘60s.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Truckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truckle. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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