Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

suck up to

British  

verb

  1. informal to flatter for one's own profit; toady

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

suck up to Idioms  
  1. Behave obsequiously towards, ingratiate oneself with, as in Now that he's the boss they're all sucking up to him, hoping to get big raises. [Vulgar slang; mid-1800s]


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.

See Examples For:

He said in his resignation letter his contributions included investigating why generative AI systems suck up to users, combatting AI-assisted bioterrorism risks and researching "how AI assistants could make us less human".

From BBC Feb. 12, 2026

Howard meanwhile had suggestions when it came to the ways other characters might suck up to him.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 2, 2025

“Your job is not to suck up to power, it’s to serve your viewers and readers by getting to the truth,” Mr. Carlson said.

From Washington Times Mar. 21, 2023

Excuse me for a minute while I suck up to my boss.

From Seattle Times Jun. 27, 2022

Then I come and drag each suck up to the track, so the charette-man can pick it up.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training