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
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Recent Examples of toady
Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
This won’t end well, especially in a no-guardrails administration staffed by a how-high team of enablers and toadies.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
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
But at the end of the Cold War, state sponsors and their toadies lost ground.
—Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2011
This won’t end well, especially in a no-guardrails administration staffed by a how-high team of enablers and toadies.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
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
-
Throughout the footage, Leah, from Fort Worth, Texas, can be seen fussing Lunch Box and fawning over her sweet foster pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
The baby occasionally fussed, and Khalil turned around and smiled at his wife and son.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Hitler surrounded himself with sycophants, had zero tolerance for dissent and demanded unwavering loyalty.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
As Joe Biden tottered and fell (literally as well as metaphorically), more than a few pundits compared him to Lear, a man who was ruined by age, pride, and the flattery of sycophants.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
Verb
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That was part of a broader DeSantis attack against the House for kowtowing to liberal trial lawyers.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
-
On one side is a Senate GOP almost entirely representing lower-cost states that is tired of kowtowing to the House; on the other side is a handful of House members whose electoral wins gave Republicans the majority, and the ability to even write a party-line tax bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Instead, the president and his frenzied lickspittles pumped up the volume.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
Republican lickspittles like Lindsey Graham and Jim Banks praised Trump and trashed Zelenskyy while Russian leaders rejoiced.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Not only was President Joe Biden in serious decline, Karine Jean-Pierre — celebrated in numerous fawning media profiles — was a rotten White House press secretary.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
6 June 2025
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The Duchess of Sussex shared a peek into her life at home with Princess Lilibet, 3, and Prince Archie, 5, as the family fawned over roses in a new Instagram post.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Oswald’s realm and his penguins and his minions and his passion.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
His minions burst into federal office buildings, humiliating staffers.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Signs someone has swallowed a button battery include: noisy breathing, coughing, drooling, difficulty swallowing, a hoarse voice, vomiting, chest or abdominal pain, and gagging, coughing or choking with eating or drinking.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
Kent has shown up at Gloucester’s castle and runs into Goneril’s steward/henchman, Oswald.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
-
Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toady. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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