as in toadies
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of sycophants
Will any other sycophants in his cult get the message?
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Laws mean nothing to Trump or his administration of sycophants.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
The only character who seems entirely transparent is Frederik, who can’t hide his resentment of his second-class spousal status or his contempt for the sycophants and mediocrities who cling to his wife like barnacles.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
And yet neither Congress nor the sycophants in the White House seem willing to stop him.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Laws mean nothing to Trump or his administration of sycophants.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
The only character who seems entirely transparent is Frederik, who can’t hide his resentment of his second-class spousal status or his contempt for the sycophants and mediocrities who cling to his wife like barnacles.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophants
Noun
-
Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are shooting options connected with Universal’s app, where selections include firing off steel spheres, fireballs and, as minions would have it, bananas.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Watch for Kara's intense ocular heat ray blasts and some fancy flying while she and Lobo battle Krem and his minions off-Earth.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The game turned some Wildcat fans into Wolverine fans, at least for one night.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The Hornets have experienced 23 sellouts this season, establishing a new mark in the uptown arena, and exceeded an average of 18,000 fans per game.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That is, until Krypto is poisoned by the henchmen of villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, with only three days to save him.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers argued that career anxiety under autocracy creates both pro-regime henchmen and anti-regime plotters.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Greenland Sharks Are Effective Hunters Many Greenland sharks are partially blind due to parasites on their eyes.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sycophants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophants. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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