as in to fuss
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
the kind of office in which people feel they have to bootlick in order to get ahead
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Recent Examples of bootlick
Those who delay this fate the longest are bootlicking mediocrities — the survival of the sycophants.
—
Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Michael Gerson, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bootlick
Verb
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Palmieri also has a 16-team no-trade list but, like Nelson, certainly should not be fussed about being moved to a Cup contender for a few months.—
Arthur Staple,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Later that day, the boys fuss around their grandmother at the dinner table.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2024
Verb
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CEXs have already had to kowtow to former EU member the United Kingdom’s inane crypto laws, forcing exchanges to code new front-ends and to exclude certain products and services from their UK service.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes,
5 Jan. 2025
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The settlement sparked a backlash from both sides of the political aisle, with one half framing it as a dishonest entity being justly punished and the other accusing the news outlet of kowtowing to Trump.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hamlet’s toadying friends, the hangers-on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are Izzard’s own talking hands, popping up to face her like a pair of Muppets.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2024
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This is the aspect of his production that made his reputation but is sometimes denigrated as superficial and toadying.—
Sebastian Smee,
Washington Post,
20 Nov. 2023
Verb
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In babies and toddlers, the first signs, such as drooling and scratching, may appear mild.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
7 Jan. 2025
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Public health officials are urging residents who may have fed their pets Monarch raw products or other raw meat or dairy products, and who may have noticed their pet acting peculiar — lethargic, loss of motor control, drooling, etc. — to immediately contact their veterinarian.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.—
David Samuels,
Town & Country,
18 Oct. 2013
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During the campaign, most of Trump’s fallen rivals blasted him in exceptional terms—before truckling to support him against Hillary Clinton.—
James Fallows,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2017
Verb
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Revelers fawned over the over-the-top ice sculptures serving up Silent Pool gin martinis, and caviar bites thanks to Aureta, whose very own caviar tins come labeled with her name and likeness.—
Zachary Weiss,
Vogue,
23 Dec. 2024
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Ebeling and Alvarez continued to shoot projects together and frequently sent each other mutually fawning messages.—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to bootlick
Thesaurus Entries Near bootlick
Cite this Entry
“Bootlick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bootlick. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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