SUCKING (UP) Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

sucking (up)

verb

Definition of sucking (up)

present participle of suck (up)

as in currying favor

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 soaking (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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucking (up)

Verb

Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026

Definition of fussing

Verb

Observed employees drinking coffee by the sushi area who changed their gloves but didn’t wash their hands before preparing sushi for customers’ orders.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Its owner, Jack Swilling, was a hardworking, hard-drinking entrepreneur who often supplemented his whiskey with liquid morphine.

— Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of drinking

Verb

Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.

— Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
There was one of Melissa Gorga’s sprinkle cookies ground into the carpet, and there was Kelsey Swanson, passed out under the piano and drooling on the parquet.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of drooling

Verb

The proposed Department of Neighborhood Safety would send mental health professionals and other civilian responders to certain nonviolent 911 calls while absorbing the city’s existing violence prevention programs.

— Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
What eventually made tobacco’s cumulative harm actionable was that states showed their Medicaid budgets absorbing the downstream costs of industry products.

— Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of absorbing

Verb

Normal gym etiquette is to refrain from taking up time on machines when the place is busy.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Conversely, if your balances have increased or high-rate debt is taking up a growing portion of your budget, your repayment strategy may need to change.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of taking up

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Browse Nearby Words

sucking in

sucking (up)

sucking (up to)

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Style

“Sucking (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucking%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of sucking (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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