as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sycophant
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
Those vibes were often dictated by the sycophants in Musk’s orbit.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
Triangle of Sadness parodied the wealthy class and their out-of-touch behaviors; The Menu gorged on monstrous culinary world personalities and the sycophants who feed them; and most recently, Blink Twice confronted the protective bubbles shielding powerful men from accountability.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Staffing the federal government with sycophants is not about ensuring loyalty to an agenda.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Noun
Where American power is for sale to the biggest sycophants?
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
Those vibes were often dictated by the sycophants in Musk’s orbit.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
Triangle of Sadness parodied the wealthy class and their out-of-touch behaviors; The Menu gorged on monstrous culinary world personalities and the sycophants who feed them; and most recently, Blink Twice confronted the protective bubbles shielding powerful men from accountability.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Staffing the federal government with sycophants is not about ensuring loyalty to an agenda.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophant
Adjective
-
Research conclusively shows that sycophantic AI behavior undermines trust and meaningful interaction.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Their allies were sycophantic, and their natural opponents—especially the French—were submissive.—
Martin Sandbu,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
Noun
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Most Americans don’t get it either, or why previous senators backing Ukraine have become toadies to Trump’s outrageous claims against the Ukrainians.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
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After Zelenskyy wouldn’t genuflect, Trump got toadies Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz to ask the Ukrainian to leave.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Of course, being a junior senator and attaching your name to legislation that has little chance of being enacted—none of those have bills passed—is very different from being Vice-President and chief lickspittle to Trump.—
John Cassidy,
The New Yorker,
22 July 2024
-
Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
7 July 2024
Noun
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But the joke’s on us — Republican senators, who are the only players with any real power to stop them, have simply decided not to, all so that President Camacho can play at government with his favorite suck-ups.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
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Sara Fischer, Dave Lawler Dec 23, 2024 - Politics & Policy Media's suck-up moment Fearing political retribution and strained by new business challenges, media companies that once covered President-elect Trump with skepticism — and in many cases, disdain — are reconsidering their approach.—
Sara Fischer,
Axios,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Sadly, perhaps much of what the Oscar winner is doing here will be lost in the blowback the unsweetened Trump critic will undoubtedly be subjected to from the MAGA minions and their kingpin in the days to come.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
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Welles later said a Hearst minion had tried, unsuccessfully, to frame Welles by sending a 14-year-old girl to his hotel room.—
John Semley,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This was the 21st home loss of the season for the Bulls, who have only won 10 games in front of their own fans this year.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Find more fan reactions to the tour’s postponement below.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Raq is a master manipulator who claims to value loyalty above all else, especially from her henchmen brothers Marvin (London Brown) and Lou (Malcolm Mays) and her only son, yet constantly destabilizes the three of them with selfish mind games and power plays that genuinely harm them.—
Robyn Bahr,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
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One whack and the burly guard or crime boss henchman is knocked out for the rest of the caper.—
Rich Heldenfels,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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DeMille, a social media specialist with a background in marketing, has highlighted influencers using the Los Angeles wildfires to peddle detoxes, fear mongering about parasites, and making claims about supplements that sound different than the disclaimers on the product's websites.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2025
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Barron said the turtles suffered from several illnesses including pneumonia, viral diseases, skin infections, parasites, dehydration and weight loss after being unable to feed themselves or swim.—
Terry Collins,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sycophant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophant. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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