fawn

Definition of fawnnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fawn distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of fawn are cower, cringe, toady, and truckle. While all these words mean "to behave abjectly before a superior," fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

When is it sensible to use cower instead of fawn?

The meanings of cower and fawn largely overlap; however, cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

When might cringe be a better fit than fawn?

While the synonyms cringe and fawn are close in meaning, cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

When would toady be a good substitute for fawn?

The synonyms toady and fawn are sometimes interchangeable, but toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

When is truckle a more appropriate choice than fawn?

Although the words truckle and fawn have much in common, truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

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 fawn Bondi fawned over Trump in a way unbefitting the nation’s chief law-enforcement officer. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 In reality, the media fawned over her in the aftermath of her death. Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026 With the Republican Congress fawning at his feet, the ideal of democracy that the will of the people governs the nation is being buried under multimedia waves of the autocratic ambition of wealth. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026 The world has gotten a glimpse of the fawning, skeezy shamelessness of his famous hangers-on, but not enough to criminally implicate them. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawn
Verb
  • Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The crime went unsolved for many years, prompting Mason to start making this movie in the early 2000s, and the immediate conclusion to jump to is that the LAPD maybe wasn’t too fussed about it.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Surrounded by a gaggle of microphones, cameras and other recording devices, Caleb Wilson offered up a nugget that probably left fans of North Carolina’s NBA team drooling.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
  • The dog, Russ, drowsed on the floor at his owner’s feet, drooling onto the tile.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.
    Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
  • After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawn. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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