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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Instead, his minions, so afraid of earning his wrath, have remained quiet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026 -
Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On a holiday celebrating love and affection, thousands of enthusiastic basketball fans showed up at Intuit Dome to cheer for their favorite NBA players in a trifecta of skills competitions on the eve of the league’s 75th annual All-Star Game.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Her primarily millennial fans are rabid to see her in concert.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And his toadies that go along with him are -- are subscribing to that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
When the characters aboard the Enterprise stop feeding the conflict, the parasite starves.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The drug, largely used to treat people or animals for infections caused by parasites, is a popular dewormer for horses.—
Rachana Pradhan,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sea turtles snoozed, manta rays glided, and reef fish darted by the thousands over lava pinnacles covered in corals and basket sponges.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Clean the inside of the microwave with a cloth or sponge dipped in the vinegar water.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
Noun
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No Melania was all the more noticeable by the fact that almost every SNL cast member was given a chance to play one of the many administration sycophants or allies — plus there was a cameo by Loki the God of Mischief as Trump’s agent (sorry Ari Emanuel).—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2026
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And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apple-polisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polisher. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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