as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends
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 sycophant
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Nobody advertises for sycophants, but often recruiting and interview processes can favor candidates who are agreeable and whose thinking doesn’t conflict with the status quo.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The administration may be populated with sycophants and true believers, but Justice Department attorneys and Homeland Security officials are not stupid.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
There are still sycophants and acolytes, but no savvy producers to make his head-scratching moves appear to make sense.
—Laura Bassett, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Adjective
Hitler surrounded himself with sycophants, had zero tolerance for dissent and demanded unwavering loyalty.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Nobody advertises for sycophants, but often recruiting and interview processes can favor candidates who are agreeable and whose thinking doesn’t conflict with the status quo.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
The administration may be populated with sycophants and true believers, but Justice Department attorneys and Homeland Security officials are not stupid.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
There are still sycophants and acolytes, but no savvy producers to make his head-scratching moves appear to make sense.
—Laura Bassett, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophant
Adjective
-
Combined with a whack-a-mole approach to product safety, the AI industry’s push toward personalized, sycophantic chatbots makes for a concerning situation.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
-
Early Tuesday in Israel—Monday night in Washington—the top headline on Israeli news sites was not Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump, or his sycophantic nomination of the president for the Nobel Peace Prize.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
-
Courtesy of Lucasfilm On an isolated farm at the outer reaches of a fascist empire, a mid-level government toady interrogates his victims.—
Jake Kleinman,
Wired News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
-
What happened to the idea that art and culture should be a contemptuous refuge from the mainstream, as opposed to this lickspittle, running dog accommodation to the mainstream?—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
3 June 2022
Noun
-
But the joke’s on us — Republican senators, who are the only players with any real power to stop them, have simply decided not to, all so that President Camacho can play at government with his favorite suck-ups.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Sara Fischer, Dave Lawler Dec 23, 2024 - Politics & Policy Media's suck-up moment Fearing political retribution and strained by new business challenges, media companies that once covered President-elect Trump with skepticism — and in many cases, disdain — are reconsidering their approach.—
Sara Fischer,
Axios,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Donald Trump is desperate to distract his followers from a scandal of his own making, pulling out all the stops to try to get MAGA minions to talk and think about something else — anything else.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
-
Daigo's minions will be making an appearance in Lego Fortnite Odyssey now that the Spires are activated, so players will have to watch out for that while working on their villages.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
On the final night of the convention, two of the stars who also happen to be incredibly talented musicians, treated fans to an intimate concert in a local venue on the square, Canopy + The Roots.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
-
For fans of horror that gets under your skin (literally and figuratively), Together is a must-see.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The wretched music alone is worth it, as is Victor Von Doom's henchman, who sounds like a little kid trying to impersonate Dracula.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
-
One of his henchmen does but, as is the case in many MCU movies, his identity is revealed by the end of the film.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Grooming too frequently can indicate issues such as parasites, allergies, infections, pain, or stress.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
-
Their demise was later hastened by a parasite called Bonamia ostreae, which is thought to have been imported from California around 1979.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sycophant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophant. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share