apple-polish

verb

ˈa-pəl-ˌpä-lish How to pronounce apple-polish (audio)
Definition of apple-polishnext
as in to curry favor
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apple-polish
  1. fuss
  2. drool
  3. fawn
Verb
  • The eagles fuss obsessively with their habitat, waddling around on their huge, scaly reptilian feet, moving sticks to and fro with their bony beaks.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Five-month-old Ladoo fusses in a hammock made from an old scarf.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of fuss
Verb
  • Beyond the seating area is the hotel shop with a vibrant range of pottery to drool over.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Who had broken a wrist on the back-yard flagstones, drooled cherry medicine down her sleeping face on the car ride back from the hospital.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • But in recent years, Romo has been criticized for his preparation, for cutting off Nantz mid-sentence, for fawning over Josh Allen and other quarterbacks and for seeming pollyannish at times.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a potentially lucrative space as Europe ramps up military spending, but not one engineered for fawning praise from the White House.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of fawn
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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apple-polish
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Cite this Entry

“Apple-polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apple-polish. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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