suck (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of suck (up)next
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to soak (up)
to take in (something liquid) through small openings these lilacs sucked up all the water I added to the vase yesterday

Synonyms & Similar Words

suck-up

2 of 2

noun

ˈsək-ˌəp How to pronounce suck-up (audio)
as in sycophant
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

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 suck (up)
Noun
The implication is that American troop positioning throughout Europe will go to the biggest suck-ups. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 22 Aug. 2026 Matthew eventually one-ups the request by losing his boxers as well and going full Winnie the Pooh, which earns him the respect of his fellow suck-ups. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck (up)
  1. fuss
  2. drink
  3. sycophant
  4. drool
  5. absorb
  6. lickspittle
  7. kowtow
  8. bootlicker
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
  • Food and drink Zori’s 32-year-old chef, Siniša Jevrosimov, is an exceptional talent.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • On the palate, first sips are remarkably soft and approachable, and Hyperion drinks a touch below its 110 proof.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of drink
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
  • In an undersized team that already shares a worldview, the silicon sycophant doesn't catch the blind spot.
    — Matt Poepsel, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of sycophant
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
  • Heating rice briefly in butter or oil before adding water or broth helps develop a subtle nutty flavor, while also improving how the grains cook and absorb liquid.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Consider how much your payment could increase and whether your budget could comfortably absorb the difference.
    — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of absorb
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 lickspittle
Verb
  • The decision has led to accusations that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has kowtowed to Trump, who last year won FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, prompting European lawmakers to call for an investigation into how the prize was awarded, Le Monde reported.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
  • Yet at the deadline, Frank said the quiet part out loud about how the Clippers used to build the roster to kowtow to Leonard, but the time for those maneuvers was over.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of kowtow
Noun
  • The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • If all goes to hell and America devolves into a rank dictatorship, beware the bootlicker.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of bootlicker

Browse Nearby Words

sucks (up to)
suck (up)
suck-up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suck (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All