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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.

He returned it to King Charles II for his coronation, probably to suck up to royal favor again.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2023

“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

Later another made celebrity chef Tyler Florence crawl like an animal because he tried to suck up to him.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2022

“She’s guarded, but she lets people in if she trusts them. Not the people who suck up to her, but people she cares about and who care about her. We have that in common.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

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