as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
you can try kowtowing to the boss, but he'll see right through you
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kowtow
So, too, do the financial titans and tech billionaires who have supposedly kowtowed to Trump since his reelection.
—
Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times, has teased a bias meter on news stories and continues to work on a conservative overhaul of the Times’ Opinion section, both of which have been critiqued as kowtowing to Trump.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
This includes his daughter, Tal, who has a hard time dealing with her father’s refusal to kowtow to politicians.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
Amazon, and all of its attendant properties, is owned by Jeff Bezos, who has proven in recent months to have no issue kowtowing to authoritarians for the sake of his bottom line.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times, has teased a bias meter on news stories and continues to work on a conservative overhaul of the Times’ Opinion section, both of which have been critiqued as kowtowing to Trump.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
This includes his daughter, Tal, who has a hard time dealing with her father’s refusal to kowtow to politicians.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
Amazon, and all of its attendant properties, is owned by Jeff Bezos, who has proven in recent months to have no issue kowtowing to authoritarians for the sake of his bottom line.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kowtow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kowtow
Verb
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No crying or fussing or squirming.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
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Really good, and if you’re not fussed about mod cons or hybrid tech, one can be sat on your driveway for just £18,850 ($24,388).—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Hamlet’s toadying friends, the hangers-on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are Izzard’s own talking hands, popping up to face her like a pair of Muppets.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2024
Verb
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Pay attention for signs of distress: panting, drooling, a high heart rate, dry nose, lethargy, or even vomiting, staggering or seizures.—
Kate Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
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The most-common ones include vomiting; diarrhea; lethargy; loss of appetite; drooling; tremors or seizures; difficulty breathing; and pale gums.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.—
David Samuels,
Town & Country,
18 Oct. 2013
Verb
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People who submitted a DNA sample to 23andMe for genetic testing can get that data deleted, something Washington state officials are highlighting after the company filed for bankruptcy last month.—
Melissa Santos,
Axios,
8 Apr. 2025
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Nearly 140 local artists then submitted original designs with personal statements explaining the image and themes used.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Lots of people coming, knocking on his door, fawning, hoping for a good deal.—
Terry Gross,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
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Lots of people coming, knocking on his door, fawning, hoping for a good deal.—
Terry Gross,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kowtow. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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