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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Donald Trump is desperate to distract his followers from a scandal of his own making, pulling out all the stops to try to get MAGA minions to talk and think about something else — anything else.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025 -
Daigo's minions will be making an appearance in Lego Fortnite Odyssey now that the Spires are activated, so players will have to watch out for that while working on their villages.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Grooming too frequently can indicate issues such as parasites, allergies, infections, pain, or stress.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
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Their demise was later hastened by a parasite called Bonamia ostreae, which is thought to have been imported from California around 1979.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 July 2025
Noun
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On the final night of the convention, two of the stars who also happen to be incredibly talented musicians, treated fans to an intimate concert in a local venue on the square, Canopy + The Roots.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
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For fans of a certain vintage, Adidas will spark happy memories.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
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Courtesy of Lucasfilm On an isolated farm at the outer reaches of a fascist empire, a mid-level government toady interrogates his victims.—
Jake Kleinman,
Wired News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That’ll play for this group, and Hassanein has been a sponge in training camp, picking the brains of Aidan Hutchinson and Penei Sewell.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
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Higher tier players, all but a few crazies, are going to burn out with this insane difficulty that is often not necessarily difficulty, but endless sponges and the simple inability to ever feel truly strong.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
28 July 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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Trump and Karoline Leavitt only want friendly coverage This is what happens when Trump and his handlers surround him with sycophants instead of journalists.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
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These are guys who are clearly surrounded by sycophants and allergic to criticism.—
Clare Morell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Over a period of about 150 years, 55 church members owned slaves.—
Brian T. Allen,
National Review,
19 July 2025
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The craft was then taught to enslaved people, who built many of the walls throughout Middle Tennessee, and then, after emancipation, many former slaves established themselves as stack stonemasons.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
The Tennessean,
17 July 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 6 Aug. 2025.
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