1
as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a young lieutenant constantly sucking up to the commanding officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flunkey
a person who flatters another in order to get ahead
I'd like to give my boss a birthday present, but I don't want to look like a shameless suck-up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suck (up)
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
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
To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Office suck-ups, popularized by television characters like Dwight Schrute in The Office and Tom Wambsgans in Succession, typically take their cues from those in charge.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
Still, gossip mongers and suck-ups won’t go away unless managers remove the incentives to such behavior, while rewarding positive actions like collaboration.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
As a shameless suck-up with a remarkable ability to fail upward, Tom is on track to conquer the world.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
Noun
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
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
To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Office suck-ups, popularized by television characters like Dwight Schrute in The Office and Tom Wambsgans in Succession, typically take their cues from those in charge.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
Still, gossip mongers and suck-ups won’t go away unless managers remove the incentives to such behavior, while rewarding positive actions like collaboration.
—Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023
As a shameless suck-up with a remarkable ability to fail upward, Tom is on track to conquer the world.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up)
Verb
-
On top of this, her mother and sister are fussing about her future relationship status, which leads to them plotting some dates for her.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The world saw this five-man group as an ideal of friendship, a community working and living together, fussing and fighting but making rough beauty out of it.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
For example, the Mayo Clinic still recommends drinking cranberry juice as a way to prevent UTIs, while the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases doesn’t.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Peterson has almost nothing in common with, say, Dave Portnoy, another mascot of the bro-sphere, who mostly just wants to be left alone to eat pizza and drink beer by the pool.—
Andrew Marantz,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The foam rubber outsole has two layers: the softer upper part absorbs the shock, and the harder lower layer is for a better grip and durability.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
These forests of fast-growing brown algae provide food and habitat for hundreds of marine species and absorb greenhouse gases but are also highly sensitive to changes in their environment.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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What may be worse is that a gaggle of sycophants and groupthink team members underneath the Dark Empath—the direct reports—create a ruthless echo chamber for the king or queen at the top of Mt. Stupid.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Of course, Veep’s sycophants, buffoons, and backstabbers bear little resemblance to the vanguard of our latest regime.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There’s a reason scouts once drooled over Williams’ potential.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Symptoms from scorpion stings — such as burning at the sting site, drooling.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Republican lickspittles like Lindsey Graham and Jim Banks praised Trump and trashed Zelenskyy while Russian leaders rejoiced.—
Maureen Dowd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Under that system, countries acknowledged the cultural and political superiority of China and expressed deference to Chinese authority—including literally kowtowing before the Chinese emperor in order to trade with China.—
Elizabeth Economy,
Foreign Affairs,
13 June 2017
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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
Noun
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This won’t end well, especially in a no-guardrails administration staffed by a how-high team of enablers and toadies.—
Bret Stephens,
The Mercury News,
13 Mar. 2025
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But a moment later, after he’s swatted down one of the two new toadies at Beck’s kitchen table for making a lewd remark about Annette, his senses seem newly awakened.—
Chris Klimek,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suck (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%29. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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