as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
no one liked the office toady, who spent most of her time complimenting the boss on what a great job he was doing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a satirical novel about an amoral go-getter who toadies his way to the top of the corporate ladder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of toady
Kara Swisher, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
But at the end of the Cold War, state sponsors and their toadies lost ground.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
Gene Seymour, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023
Fox News has long been accused of peddling Trump’s falsehoods and toadying up to the former president.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for toady
Noun
As of this writing, tens of thousands of Americans in government roles have already been fired by Elon’s tech toadies.
—Kara Swisher, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2025
But at the end of the Cold War, state sponsors and their toadies lost ground.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
Verb
But without Logan’s presence, Tom’s penchant for toadying and betrayal has nowhere to play off. Get our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter.
—Gene Seymour, CNN, 12 Apr. 2023
Fox News has long been accused of peddling Trump’s falsehoods and toadying up to the former president.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for toady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toady
Verb
-
As darkness settled over a nature reserve in the United Kingdom, a baby mammal began to fuss and whine to its parent.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
25 July 2025
-
Vodka just keeps things boozy without fussing too much with the flavor.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump and Karoline Leavitt only want friendly coverage This is what happens when Trump and his handlers surround him with sycophants instead of journalists.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
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These are guys who are clearly surrounded by sycophants and allergic to criticism.—
Clare Morell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Verb
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People still sleep on the streets and panhandle at intersections, and city leaders frequently face pressure to kowtow to special interests.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 July 2025
-
So, Murdoch will probably join the others in kowtowing to the commander-in-chief.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
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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
Verb
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Her image is fawned over but also analyzed, co-opted, and monetized.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 July 2025
-
That was fair enough—not overly fawning, and largely true.—
Tom Nagorski,
Time,
18 July 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
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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
Verb
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Symptoms may include excessive panting, glazed eyes, lethargy, drooling, vomiting, or confusion.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
-
Elavil can help with not only depression but also symptoms like drooling.—
Janelle McSwiggin,
Health,
20 July 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Toady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toady. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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