1
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a young lieutenant constantly sucking up to the commanding officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sycophant
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
I'd like to give my boss a birthday present, but I don't want to look like a shameless suck-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suck (up)
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up)
Verb
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Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
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No need to fuss-up something that's just as delicious prepared simply.
Verb
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The robot staff behind the scenes Pudu's FlashBot will run an intelligent vending system, allowing guests to order drink deliveries by smartphone.
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Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.
Noun
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In an undersized team that already shares a worldview, the silicon sycophant doesn't catch the blind spot.
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Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
Verb
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Isaacs said the symptoms of heat stress or heat stroke include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, seizures or collapse.
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This golden lasagna is the perfect way to offer a vegetarian option that meat-eaters will be drooling over.
Verb
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Often, firming lotions are thick and leave a white cast, but this Olay option, which more than 30,000 buyers have picked up in the past month alone, is lightweight, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly.
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For decades, oceans have acted as the planet’s main heat sink, absorbing 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels.
Noun
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Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
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Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
Verb
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Part of what fascinated me about their presentation was not only their refusal to kowtow to male desire, which for decades had a stranglehold on rock aesthetics, but a concomitant disavowal of commercialism.
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But opponents now say the plan kowtows to oil and gas interests who are lobbying hard for concessions, citing an already unstable state and international energy market.
Noun
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The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
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If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.
Cite this Entry
“Suck (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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