bootlickers

noun

plural of bootlicker
as in sycophants
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead she's such a bootlicker that I don't take any of her compliments seriously

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bootlickers The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026 These are just some of the most prominent, powerful bootlickers stumbling right now on their own deceit and desperation. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlickers
  1. sycophants
  2. toadies
  3. lickspittles
  4. minions
  5. henchmen
  6. fans
  7. flunkies
  8. parasites
Noun
  • And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Definition of sycophants
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Like the most treacherous toadies from literature — Iago, Wormtongue, Tywin Lannister — Miller managed to shove aside rivals to latch onto his master’s ear and guide him toward more evil.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of toadies
Noun
  • Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Firmly in control of the nation’s massive federal apparatus, MAGA and its Republican lickspittles in Congress have thrived on chaos.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of lickspittles
Noun
  • Just as Wolverine is surrounded, he’s saved by Mystique, who’s shape-shifted herself into one of Trask’s minions.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of minions
Noun
  • One of the senior henchmen of right-wing Christian politics saw this dangerous transformation unfolding from the inside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • While Sanji and Chopper fight off various henchmen, Luffy battles Wapol and eventually beats him with Sanj’s help.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of henchmen
Noun
  • Heads of state, parents of book recipients, music fans, movie fans and, like me, women who felt blessed to have had such a glamorous role model publicly mourned the loss.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thank you for the memories, the friendship, and for bringing joy to generations of fans.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • Yasmin, Tender’s briefly installed head of communications, is the first of Whitney’s flunkies to defect.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
  • For instance, Bolsonaro’s flunkies penetrated the government agency that handled film distribution.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of flunkies
Noun
  • Caused by parasites spread via Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria can cause symptoms including nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In mid-May, India’s chief justice made some comments comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of parasites

Browse Nearby Words

bootlicker
bootlickers
bootlicking
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Cite this Entry

“Bootlickers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlickers. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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