butter
noun
the fatty portion of milk, separating as a soft whitish or yellowish solid when milk or cream is agitated or churned.
buttering
-
present participleof butter.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It felt a little bit like he was buttering us up,” Brockman testified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
Before Musk decided to exit OpenAI, Brockman described his attempts to gain more control over the company, an effort that included "buttering up" Brockman and another co-founder, Ilya Sutskever.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Besides, Colby has long displayed a knack for buttering up his superiors.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2025
He also wasn’t shy about scolding dining companions who committed such sins as buttering their bread or not eating all their vegetables.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2025
My predecessor in this room, my friend with the freckles and the good laugh, must have done this too, this buttering.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
