as in soft soap
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sucking (up to)
to praise too much
a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttering up
Noun
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People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.—
Lauren Penington,
The Denver Post,
2 Sep. 2024 -
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2024
Noun
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Remove seed oils and substitute for coconut oil, organic butter, or organic unscented tallow in 2026.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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Key Ingredients for Sticky Buns Our recipe for sticky buns is made with an enriched dough, one that includes eggs, butter, sugar, and milk, along with the yeast and flour.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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From there, according to the report, the sweet talk quickly moves to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Google Chat or Telegram.—
Sunny Nagpaul,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2024
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Just in case that gave Reba a leg up, don't let her sweet talk you.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2024
Noun
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If nothing else, this little term of endearment doesn't really seem exactly, well, endearing.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
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End the card with a closing term of endearment that fits the status of you and your Valentine’s relationship.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Neither leaders of pharma nor finance had to engage in golf outings, tithing schemes, or sycophancy to gain Trump’s attention.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian,
TIME,
17 Jan. 2025
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Then come the inevitable policy mistakes, as ideology and sycophancy overwhelm sound advice.—
Daron Acemoglu,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Mar. 2020
Verb
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Join us in applauding this young hero.—
Melissa Rudy,
Fox News,
23 Dec. 2024
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Jeff Bezos is applauding his fiancée Lauren Sánchez for her eventful year!—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As the energy market looks for clues on global crude oil demand growth in 2025, many are eyeing how things may unfold in India with China's consumption flattering to deceive.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes,
29 Dec. 2024
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Or go for something more timeless like this cowl neck dress, which has flattering ruched detailing along the stomach.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
28 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Buttering up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttering%20up. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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