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definitions

apple-polish

[ap-uh l-pol-ish]Informal.
See more synonyms for apple-polish on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to curry favor with someone, especially in an obsequious or flattering manner.
verb (used with object)
  1. to curry favor with (someone).

Origin of apple-polish

First recorded in 1930–35
Related formsapple polisher, ap·ple-pol·ish·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for apple-polish

bootlick, flatter, grovel, kowtow, sweet-talk, toady, truckle, brown-nose