as in brownnoser
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
a transparent apple-polisher whose fulsome praise fooled no one
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polisher
Noun
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What made Armani’s designs so appealing to Ovitz and his minions wasn’t just their confident power-suit cut.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025 -
Vex can use that energy to empower herself, or channel it to conjure deadly minions that fight alongside her.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Many parasites also require multiple hosts to complete their life cycles, so their presence and/or absence can reveal a great deal about the health and complexity of an ecosystem.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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To be diagnosed, a person must test positive to two tests that detect antibodies to different antigens, or a foreign substance in the body like toxins, bacteria, chemicals or viruses, of the parasite, the CDC said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The World Athletics website has live results and a full schedule for fans to keep up with.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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This is part of a business model that has worked for TCU’s regular-season record, but increasingly frustrates fans who want to see a decent matchup in September.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This draft meeting resembled a bully in the high school cafeteria seeking toadies — any veneer of scouting objectivity was shed.—
Michael Hurley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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In the past, Newsom denounced judges who ruled against them as toadies of the firearms industry.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Try a microfiber cloth or soft sponge instead.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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Head to Amazon now to snag Wright’s Copper Cream to make your pieces sparkle, plus shop copper cookware, non-abrasive sponges, and microfiber cloths to add extra shine to your products.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
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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
Noun
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Research shows that psychological safety is paramount for productive strategic discussions, yet many organizations inadvertently silence opposing voices in favor of those of the sycophant.—
Tracy Lawrence,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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But, even on a team of Trump sycophants, Bondi stands out for her fawning devotion.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The 1850 version mandated that the federal government actively help slave catchers track and apprehend people who’d escaped slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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Inside the first Colosseum, the masses of Rome watched slaves and animals butcher one another.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polisher. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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