as in fawning
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Recent Examples of sycophancy
Hierarchies breed a hell of a lot of sycophancy and resentment, and this one is no different.
—
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Groupthink and sycophancy played a role in Iraqi decision-making, the records show, but not as much as might have been expected.
—Amatzia Baram, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2012
Neither leaders of pharma nor finance had to engage in golf outings, tithing schemes, or sycophancy to gain Trump’s attention.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Then come the inevitable policy mistakes, as ideology and sycophancy overwhelm sound advice.
—Daron Acemoglu, Foreign Affairs, 23 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Groupthink and sycophancy played a role in Iraqi decision-making, the records show, but not as much as might have been expected.
—Amatzia Baram, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2012
Neither leaders of pharma nor finance had to engage in golf outings, tithing schemes, or sycophancy to gain Trump’s attention.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Then come the inevitable policy mistakes, as ideology and sycophancy overwhelm sound advice.
—Daron Acemoglu, Foreign Affairs, 23 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophancy
Noun
-
The stakes are also higher in the third act because of a life-risking incident and Nani’s career aspirations, while the new movie downplays Stitch’s adoration for Elvis Presley, though his songs are present.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
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Set three years after the events of Season 4, Joe and his wife Kate (Charlotte Richie) are living in New York, where Kate’s role as a powerful CEO has brought them a lot of public attention and adoration.—
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.,
Refinery29,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Prior Department of Homeland Security guidelines banned enforcement in areas such as schools, places of worship and hospitals.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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However, a majority are against the current administration’s approach to deportation, which includes deporting undocumented immigrants who have lived here for years, raise their families here, work hard and attend our places of worship.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
His assessment is based not on the slack-jawed idolatry of elite-media toadies, but on sources nobody else thought to ring up and poke.—
Harpers Magazine,
Harpers Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Unlike most contemporary acts subject to mass idolatry, Wolf Alice’s online presence (which, historically, has been minimal) has never been part of the appeal.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sycophancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophancy. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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