butter up

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to flatter

Idioms and Phrases

Excessively praise or flatter someone, usually to gain a favor. For example, If you butter up Dad, he'll let you borrow the car. This term transfers the oily, unctuous quality of butter to lavish praise. [c. 1700]

Example Sentences

A UK attempt to butter up the French leader, perhaps?

From BBC

Almost every coach or general manager butters up the people who are signing his paychecks.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, they were hearing Silver butter up every Democratic club in the county.

From Los Angeles Times

The con works like this: Victims are buttered up by the scammer for weeks and even months to gain the victim’s trust.

From Washington Times

Electric and gas utilities have used money collected from customers to lobby lawmakers, butter up regulators, and slow the shift to clean energy.

From Salon