SUCKING (UP TO) Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

sucking (up to)

verb

Definition of sucking (up to)

present participle of suck (up to)

as in buttering up

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up to)

Verb

Ben spends the afternoon buttering up Ellie and praising her cake-icing skills, and even gives her the task of decorating the wedding cake.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.

— Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Definition of buttering up

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 fawning

Verb

Arsenal want to do that in a range of ways — in personnel, stylistic development, and by coaxing more from their current group.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Last year, Ian Stamy took the state prize for his bumper soybean yield, coaxing an average of just over 100 bushels per acre from his operation in central Pennsylvania.

— Scott Neuman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of coaxing

Verb

What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of kowtowing

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sucking (up)

sucking (up to)

suckle

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“Sucking (up to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%20to%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sucking (up to)

verb

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