as in licking
to strike repeatedly
vowed to curry the hide of the person who stole his wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of currying
In his place, acting President Delcy Rodríguez has been cautiously liberalizing the economy and courting foreign oil companies, while currying favor with Washington pragmatically and seeking relief from crushing sanctions.
—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.
—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
For instance, between 1875 and 1885, one Gilded Age railroad company spent approximately $500,000 (equivalent to approximately $15 million today) currying the favor of government officials each year.
—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
The event was a surreal mashup of soccer and favor-currying.
—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Soon, companies learn that success depends less on innovation or competition than on currying political favor.
—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.
—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
For instance, between 1875 and 1885, one Gilded Age railroad company spent approximately $500,000 (equivalent to approximately $15 million today) currying the favor of government officials each year.
—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
The event was a surreal mashup of soccer and favor-currying.
—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
9 Dec. 2025
Soon, companies learn that success depends less on innovation or competition than on currying political favor.
—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for currying
Verb
-
But the Carolinas have their own ways of making barbecue finger-licking.
-
France’s Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, who each already have four goals in the tournament, will be licking their lips.
Verb
-
Unfortunately, this can lead to some individuals lashing out in response to their own insecurities, hate and low bar of aptitude, which is confirmed by the tenor of the attacks.
-
Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
Verb
-
The country’s singular role in hiding Jews from their Nazi occupiers is well documented.
-
The anti-Trump rage, the surge of younger, more educated progressive voters, the hunger for someone willing to fight on affordability with policy, message, and tone, in Albany and Washington — all of it was hiding in plain sight for anyone looking at the data rather than the tired, old playbook.
Verb
-
And a Cut Absolute is whipping around upon seeing the person and walking away.
-
Patrick Evans made it to the top step of the Motocross Best Trick event with his electric bike, whipping out a no-handed front flip to loud cheers from the crowd before climbing back up the ramp to celebrate.
Verb
-
The young man was doing LeBron James’ silencer celebration after scoring a goal one moment and being tagged with soccer’s equivalent of a Flagrant 2 the next — because of how one moment was assessed on tape delay.
-
The city’s police department will be doing safety checks in the area as well.
Verb
-
Be mesmerized by the dazzling lasers and pulse-pounding tunes from the movie in this unforgettable experience.
-
An apartment surveillance video captured a man pounding on the window, before Davis gave him a key.
Verb
-
Vanity Fair reported that he was sentenced to 60 days in jail after being convicted of misdemeanor battery against a girlfriend, and was later charged with battering his third wife, Joanna Ferrell.
-
In an effort to turn the tables on Russia’s grinding war of attrition, Ukrainian long-range drones have for months been battering targets, including oil production and energy facilities, behind the front line and deep inside Russia.
Verb
-
El Tri won its first knockout match at a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night at the majestic Azteca Stadium packed with 80,824 fans.
-
In May, just weeks before the ruling, the athlete won the West Virginia Class AAA girls’ shot put state championship with a throw of 38 feet, 11¾ inches, beating the runner-up by just over two feet.
Cite this Entry
“Currying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/currying. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
